Township Introduces $17.7 Million Budget

The Warren Township Committee introduced a $17,714,596.18 budget for 2013 that includes funding for more road overlays and work on an expansion of the police headquarters at Thursday's meeting.

Funding for the budget will be primarily from a $12,099,868.33 tax levy, an increase of $1,279,907, an 11.8 percent increase. The increase includes , $480,000 for debts and other expenditures excluded from the state 2 percent tax cap, as well as $359,000 allowed under the tax cap law ( $216,000 of which is 2 percent of last year's tax levy, plus $143,000 allowed because of the increase in property values and assessments).

The budget will increase the municipal tax bill for a property assessed at the township's average of $643,250 (up 2.8 percent from last year's $625,600 average) by about $210.

Township Administrator Mark Krane said after the budget's introduction the appropriations include $750,000 for more road overlay projects planned for this year, as well as $100,000 set aside for the planned expansion of the police headquarters. 

The township will also hire a full time mechanic through the DPW, after leaving the position open when a previous mechanic retired in 2010. Krane said the position was unfilled at the time because of budget contraints, but having the mechanic will actually be more cost effective for the township than paying for the services.

"If you think about all the vehicles the township has, the police cars, fire trucks, public works—there's quite a bit of work," he said.

The budget also includes $125,000 for cleanup after Superstorm Sandy the township spent and is waiting for reimbursement on from FEMA.

The only comment made at the meeting on the budget came from Horseshoe Drive resident Joe Lakatos, who noted the budget's increase.

"Although it's well within the two percent, the total general appropriations in the municipal budget are up over a million dollars," he said. "It's within the two percent...a million dollars is still a million dollars."

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 16 at the municipal complex.