Manalapan committee adopts $31.9M budget
BY MARK ROSMAN Staff Writer

MANALAPAN — The Township Committee has adopted a 2009 municipal budget that totals $31.9 million. The spending plan won approval in a 3-1 vote during the committee's June 24 meeting.

The budget will rely on the collection of $18.8 million in local taxes. Other revenues to support the budget will come from state aid ($4.9 million) and from Manalapan's surplus (savings) account ($4.2 million).

No employees will be laid off and the budget does not require any employee furloughs. Committee members said the township has trimmed its work force over the past few years by not replacing employees who have left Manalapan.

The budget was adopted with support from Mayor Richard Klauber, Committeewoman Michelle Roth and Committeeman Don Holland.

Committeeman Andrew Lucas voted against the adoption of the budget.

Committeewoman Susan Cohen was absent from the meeting.

Roth, who worked with department heads to develop the budget, said, "There is no smoke and mirrors in this budget. We started with a zero-based budget and the department heads had to justify what they needed. We have had no reductions in our services to residents.

"I would like to keep the tax rate stable, but Trenton keeps cutting the amount of money it sends back to Manalapan and it does not stop the unfunded mandates we are required to pay," Roth said.

In his comments about the budget, Lucas said, "Many residents have told me they wished we could have done everything possible to keep this budget as lean as possible … and that's where I am."

Klauber restated a point he made at an earlier meeting when he said he believes the use of $4 million from the township's surplus account is a prudent move during difficult financial times. He said Manalapan will be in a strong financial position moving forward.

The 2009 budget will increase the municipal tax rate by 1.1 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, from 28.4 cents to 29.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

That means the owner of a home assessed at the township average of $428,480 will pay about $1,264 in municipal taxes in 2009. The owner of a home assessed at $600,000 will pay about $1,770 in municipal taxes in 2009.

Municipal property taxes pay for all op- erations in town hall, including the police department, township administration, the

planning and zoning offices, parks and recreation, public works and municipal professionals such as attorneys, engineers and planners.

In addition to municipal taxes, a Manalapan resident's property tax bill also includes taxes paid to the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District, the Freehold Regional High School District, Monmouth County, a local fire district and several other assessments.

During a public comment session, several residents addressed the budget.

Rick Aaronson thanked the committee members "for all of the hard work you put in on the budget. I think it's time the citizens thank you."

Aaronson said taxes are being held steady in Manalapan and, unlike many New Jersey municipalities, no employees are being laid off or required to take a furlough this year.

Ray Kalainikas posed several questions about taxation and expressed his view that "taxation is thievery." He asked the committee members to consider what alternatives there may be to taxation.

A short discussion ensued with the result being the conclusion that taxation is the current method used to help support municipal operations.

Steven Johnson said he thought there should have been some cuts in the construction department as the result of a reduced revenue projection from the department for 2009 due to the lagging economy.

Johnson commended the committee for its plan to have construction department employees — some of whom are skilled in various trades — perform in-house projects, thereby saving Manalapan from having to hire outside contractors in some instances.

He suggested that officials consider allowing advertising signs to be placed on the playing fields at the Manalapan Recreation Center as a means of raising revenue. He estimated that such a move could raise $10,000 in revenue.

"I believe you have done a good job in cutting many things," Johnson said.

Following the comments from the public, the budget was adopted by a majority vote of the governing body