After being rejected by the voters last month, the $112.7 million budget for the next school year in North Bergen was cut by $50,000 at Wednesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting. This lowers the tax levy, or the total amount of taxes to fund the budget, to $41.3 million. Most of the rest of the funding comes from state and federal grants.
The commissioners recommended $25,000 be removed from unemployment compensation, and another $25,000 from employee health benefits. Township Administrator Christopher Pianese felt those sections were overfunded.
Resident Herbert Shaw objected to the resolution during the public portion, saying it is a conflict of interest for Mayor Nicholas Sacco and commissioners Hugo Cabrera and Allen Pascual to vote on the budget since they are all school employees. But he said that without them on the five-member board, the board wouldn’t have a quorum.
“We’re not telling them where to cut.” — Nicholas Sacco
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Shaw also said $50,000 is not a very large cut to the budget.
“It depends on how much is in the budget that we can cut without interfering with our kids’ education, understanding that the schools are operating right now with about $9 million less in state aid than [according to the formula] they are supposed to have,” said Sacco.
Sacco said that due to state aid budget cuts last year, there are very few places to reduce the budget. One area that suffered was funding for capital projects like the current expansion of the high school.
Absentee owners could lose property
An ordinance was passed that would enable the township to fix and possibly take over the property of absentee homeowners. It was introduced at the last meeting.
Pianese said the ordinance was the culmination of six months of looking for a way for the township to take action against homes that are basically abandoned and become eyesores and dangers for the community. He found an ordinance adopted by the city of Hackensack that complies with the Abandoned Property Rehabilitation Act of New Jersey.
Previously the township would place a lien on the property and force it to be boarded up, but officials said that often “vagrants” would break in and properties became fire hazards.
The ordinance outlines around 10 qualifications, including properties that are vacant, are a fire risk, are found unfit for human habitation, are subject to unauthorized entry, have vermin or signs of vermin present, or have a dilapidated appearance, among other conditions.
Property owners do not have to be in arrears in their taxes to fall under these guidelines, said officials.
First the owners of these properties and those with any financial interest in the building will be notified that they have 60 days to submit a plan of action for remedying the problems that exist. If they don’t, the township will borrow money and contract the remedial work.
If the property owners do not reimburse the township for the work by a specific deadline, the township may go to court, forfeit the bond or loan that financed the cleanup, and by doing so take ownership of the property.
Afterward the township may choose to sell the property or own it.
The township will now compile a list of such properties that fit the criteria.
Professional contracts renewed
The township renewed several professional contracts, including those with 11 attorneys. They include Eric Bal, Esq.; Breslin & Breslin, P.A.; Chasan, Leyner & Lamparello, P.C.; Gittleman, Muhlstock & Chewcaskie, L.L.P.; Johnson & Conway, L.L.P.; Lum, Drasco & Positan, L.L.C.; Hugh Mc Guire, Esq; McManimon & Scotland, L.L.C.; Netchert, Dineen &Hillmann, Esq.; Potters & Della Pietra, L.L.P.; and Weiner Lesniak.
The board also approved a $60,000 one year contract with Vision Media Marketing, Inc.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.