At the April 1 Evesham council meeting, township manager William Cromie and director of finance Thomas Shanahan gave a budget workshop presentation to the council that included a budget proposal for council’s consideration and statistical information.
Cromie made clear the presentation was not a public hearing of the budget, nor was it an official introduction of the budget.
The proposed budget had a total operating cost of $33.6 million, which is an increase of $836,000 from the previous year’s budget.
However, Cromie said there would be no need for any tax increases because any increases in expenditures or money the township lost in 2013 from tax appeals was counteracted by new sources of revenue from increased court fines and construction fees, and from lapsed appropriation reserves.
Shanahan described the lapsed appropriation reserves as the unused portions of 2012 budget that were set aside for unknown expenditures that might have arisen during 2013, which when unused at the end of 2013 lapsed into surplus.
Cromie also attributed keeping taxes stable to the fiscal responsibility of the township’s different departments.
“One of the main reasons for that is our department heads are very efficient, and they don’t spend money unless they have to,” Cromie said. “So at the end of the year, we’re not looking to spend money on things just to spend money.”
With the council’s approval, Cromie scheduled the official introduction of the budget for the next Evesham council meeting currently scheduled on April 15 at 6:30 p.m.
During Shanahan’s portion of the presentation, he said out of every $100 in taxes a resident of Evesham pays, $16 goes toward the municipal government with the other $84 going toward the elementary and middle schools, regional high school district, the county, fire district and open space.
Shanahan also presented information where he took the money Evesham residents pay in to taxes to the municipal government and compared it to the money residents of neighboring communities are paying in taxes to their municipal governments.
Under his formula, the cost of living stemming from municipal services for Evesham residents is $721 per person a year. Shanahan compared that number to Mt. Laurel at $822 per resident, $867 per resident in Medford, $1,058 per resident in Moorestown and $1,227 per resident in Willingboro Township.
Mayor Randy Brown expressed shock at how low Evesham’s municipal cost of living was compared to the other towns.
“$1,227 per person to live in Willingboro, compared to $721 to live in Evesham,” Brown said. “Now that’s per person. So if you’ve got four people living in the house, it’s $2,000 a year less to live in Marlton than to live in Willingboro — wow.”
Brown said the public should also note that Willingboro is a smaller town than Evesham yet still had a much higher cost of living.
“Look at the disparity between a town as large as Willingboro and us,” Brown said. “It’s tremendous. What a difference.”
In other news:
• Council passed a resolution to contract for removal and replacement of the flooring at Indian Spring Country Club.
• Council passed a resolution approving participation in the state Safe and Secure Communities Program that is administered by the Department of Law and Public Safety.
• Council passed a resolution approving the closure of Stow Road and Eves Drive for the Cycle Club of Evesham on April 27, June 29 and Aug. 3.
• Council passed a resolution approving the closure of Stow Road and Eves Drive for the New Jersey Bicycling Association’s 2014 State Criterium Championships on May 18.
