The 2009 municipal budget was introduced Tuesday after months of preparation and delays.
At $44.5 million, the municipal spending plan is up from last year’s budget of $42.9 million. It currently contains a tax increase of a little less than a dollar for every $1,000 of property owned by a resident.
The town, which uses the calendar year as its fiscal year, has been operating on a temporary budget since January.
According to Town Administrator David Drumeler, the average Secaucus home is assessed at $165,000. Thus, the .97 tax increase would work out to an annual increase of $160.05 for the average homeowner.
The proposed $44.5 million budget is a slight increase over this year’s budget of $42.9 million.
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Including those other budgets, homeowners would pay a total $1.60 in increased taxes for every $1,000 of assessed property. This $1.60 increase breaks down to .97 for the town, .27 for the county and .36 for the local schools.
Residents can speak out at a public hearing on the budget on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Municipal Center at 1203 Paterson Plank Road.
After public comments, the council can either approve the budget or make amendments.
Why the increase?
As for most communities, municipal health care expenses, social security, contractual agreements with employee unions, and workers compensation account for most of Secaucus’ anticipated tax increase.
“As always, the big hit this year will be in health care and our contractual agreements,” said Drumeler. “We’re also mandated by the state to increase funding to the library. So it all adds up here and there. But given the overall state of the economy, I feel comfortable with where we are. Unlike other towns, we’re not cutting services. We’re not laying off cops. In fact, we’re adding to our police department.”
Budget introduced later
The 2009 budget was introduced two weeks later than last year’s budget because of the ongoing investigation into the Tax Collector’s Office. For much of this year, town Chief Financial Officer Margaret Barkala has been sidelined as she and a team of auditors have tried to track down money allegedly missing from property tax accounts.
This investigation derailed budget preparation workshops and meetings some members of the Town Council had requested. The council will, however, hold a few budget meetings before the public hearing on Sept. 16.
“We just got the budget, so I really haven’t seen any numbers,” said Councilman John Bueckner last week. “We haven’t had a chance to dissect where the .97 increase is coming from, or whether there are any places where we could make cuts. So, I really can’t comment on what I think of it.”
Last year Bueckner, who had previously been part of the council’s Budget Subcommittee, had recommended hiring freezes for nonessential workers and cuts in professional service contracts.
Such minor cuts, Drumeler said last year, would save only about .3 on the tax rate.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.