Budget will take bigger bite in property taxes Jackson council introduces $37.9M spending plan for '06 BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer Mark Seda JACKSON - The news that Jackson residents had been waiting to hear for weeks was delivered on Aug. 22 when Mayor Mark Seda and the Township Council introduced a $37.9 million budget for 2006. The spending plan as proposed carries an increase in the municipal tax rate of 19.6 cents, from 59.9 to 79.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The proposed budget is an increase of $5.3 million over the 2005 budget that totaled $32.6 million. In order to help pay for everything Jackson needs to operate this year, officials will raise $22.4 million in local taxes, an increase of $6.5 million from the $15.9 million that was raised in local taxes a year ago. A public hearing on the budget will take place Sept. 19. By law, the budget must be adopted by Oct. 1. Property owners will feel the bite of the budget in their municipal taxes this year. The owner of a home assessed at $200,000 will see his municipal tax bill rise from $1,198 to $1,590 (up $392). The owner of a home assessed at $400,000 will see his municipal tax bill rise from $2,396 to $3,180 (up $784). Municipal taxes are one portion of the overall property tax bill, which also includes school and Ocean County taxes. Jackson school taxes will also be increasing this year. As he introduced the budget, Seda said, "I'm sure everybody here has been wondering what has been going on with our township finances that they received an estimated tax bill of [a] 19.6-cent [increase]. The shame of it all is here in black and white. It clearly states that our expenditures went up and at the same time they went up, our revenues have gone down." The introduction of a budget was delayed this year as Jackson's form of government switched from a Township Committee to a mayor and Township Council. The new government came into power on July 1. Seda said that as a member of the Township Com-mittee, he complained that there should be an adopted budget. He said he was told it was not a problem. "Today, after eight weeks of working on something, I've received nothing but phone calls [saying] I've misled the people and I've misrepresented my campaign," the mayor said. "If they took two minutes to read anything I put out during my campaign it was real clear. We're in trouble." Seda said that at his first staff meeting he learned that $5.5 million had to be raised to make an August payment to the Jackson school district. The township collects the taxes that are due to the school district and pays the school district the money it is owed at certain intervals. "I was under the gun to get an estimated tax bill out," Seda said, noting that he and Township Administrator William A. Santos worked hard to get the proposed municipal budget ready. According to figures provided by the council, Jackson will see a $1.8 million loss of revenue in 2006, compared to 2005. The total comes from the loss of a Cops in Schools grant and from what officials referred to as one-shot revenue enhancements that were contained in the 2005 budget. The council said appropriations will be up in a number of areas above what was paid in 2005. Increases cited by the council include: debt service, up $182,747; pick-up of recyclable materials, up $216,175; gypsy moth control, up $231,079; utility expenses, up $482,000; bulk waste pick-up disposal fees, up $190,000; estimated wage adjustments on five union contracts, up $738,000; employee health insurance, up $426,521; employee pension payments, up $401,883; Social Security payments, up $179,742; capital improvement fund, up $250,000; special emergency authorization (payment due on municipal revaluation), up $300,000; change in government, estimated costs, up $197,043; and a community service settlement agreement with the Westlake development, up $100,000. "If you have any recommendations please make them," Seda said. "Com-plaints won't get us anywhere. From here forward we have to increase revenue and reduce our expenses. If you have any suggestions, please call my office." The budget will be supported by property taxes ($22.4 million), use of surplus funds ($5 million), receipts from delinquent taxes ($1.2 million), state aid ($4.7 million), Uniform Construction Code fees ($2 million) and miscellaneous revenue ($2.4 million). Key appropriations contained in the 2006 budget include: public safety $9.9 million (up $489,000 from 2005); debt service, $3.4 million; insurance, pension and Social Security obligations, $6 million (up $1.1 million from 2005); public works, $6 million (up $1.4 million from 2005); recreation and senior services, $1 million; utilities, $1.7 million; and general government, $5 million (up $927,000 from 2005). "This is just the introduction of the budget," council President Angelo Stal-lone said. "We are not adopting this tonight. There is plenty of time to review the budget and ask questions in the weeks to come." A budget workshop, open to the public, will be held on Aug. 31 from 7-9:30 p.m. at the municipal building.