While the town of Guttenberg does not have its new budget prepared, the Town Council approved at its July 27 meeting a $10 million amount that taxpayers will have to kick in to support the budget this fiscal year.
Total budgets for the town of Guttenberg are usually in $12 million range. The rest of the funding comes from state aid and local permit fees.
The current fiscal year runs from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. However, while Guttenberg operates on a fiscal year, the New Jersey Division of Local Government Services revised the method of calculating the municipal tax rate so that this calculation will now be on a calendar year.
The council voted for the tax levy with the exception of Councilwoman Donna Florio, who was excused on vacation.
During the caucus,Mayor Gerald Drasheff said that since they do not have a preliminary budget, they had to make their best guess, based on union demands and health insurance increases. He said that although this year was tough for the municipality, which received no state aid last year, the residents’ county and school tax increases were quite low. Residents pay a tax bill that goes to the town, county, and schools. Each budget is figured separately.
While the municipal tax levy is up 7.2 percent from last year, Drasheff said the overall increase is less than 1 percent because those other budgets keep tax bills lower.
Drasheff said that for every $100 paid in taxes last year, there will be a $2.55 increase.
“It looks like in terms of the tax levy…we lucked out this year,” said Drasheff during the caucus.
School board contract
The council also approved a contract between Guttenberg and the town’s Board of Education for the future school community center joint facility, which will be used as a school extension and town recreation center. The building will be located behind the Anna L. Klein School.
The contract states that the town and board will agree to obtain the services of Dicara Rubino Architects to prepare for the first architectural drawings for the building, and that each party will be responsible for 50 percent.
“[The town] already spent $10,000, so the school board will pay the next $10,000,” said Town Attorney Charles Daglian. “Then once we have a definite plan in place, the school board’s attorney and myself will draft a more comprehensive inter-local agreement. Then the final phase will be when the building is completed. They we will draft an inter-local agreement for the operation and cost splitting of the building.”
Drasheff said that so far the board had received approval to use $2.6 million of its funds and that the town had been approved for around $400,000 from different Hudson County Improvement Authority sources. While he was expecting to receive Hudson County Open Space Trust monies eventually, he said that their grant writer’s main task would be to now find different sources for revenue.
Drasheff expects the project to cost around $25 million.
Two elected officials selected from the council, the town administrator, two Board of Education members, and a school administrator will form a committee to oversee the agreement.
The school board passed their agreement on May 7.
Housing appointment
The council voted to remove a resolution to appoint Mirna Benitez to the Guttenberg Housing Authority.
While Benitez had been reappointed as a mayor’s appointment a few weeks ago, Fatima Becerril and Maria Gonzales, both Housing Authority employees, had been asking Town Clerk Alberto Cabrera to pass the reappointment as a resolution because of a current audit that is underway related to possible wrongdoing at the GHA. The allegations were printed in a cover story in the Reporter three weeks ago.
Benitez’s term will expire April 3, 2013.
Daglian said that the certified minutes of the mayor’s appointment would suffice and that he will “deal with it.”
Outdoor eats
An ordinance that will allow restaurants to put outdoor dining areas in Guttenberg was introduced. The dinning area must be no more than 2 feet in diameter with no more than four chairs.
The outdoor café licenses will be issued for a six month period.
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Officers of the month
The officers who conducted the first week-long Guttenberg Junior Police Academy were honored at the meeting. They are Sgt. Victor Conversano and Officers Leonardo Ramirez, Joseph Keselica, and Shaundell Barker, as well as Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Det. Carolyn Cook.
Public Safety Director Michael Caliguiro said he was very proud of the program because the officers took it upon themselves to make “something special.”
“I think was really important about it is it taught them self discipline, respect, and it was really focusing on what it takes to be a good citizen,” said Drasheff.
After seeing the large group of girls that came out that week, Barker decided to start her own website called www.GirlsHavePower.com, which will sell t-shirts. A portion of the profits will be put toward future police academies and other charitable organizations.
“We spoke a lot of how we hoped that we inspired you guys,” said Barker. “We you guys have inspired me.”
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.