Howell's Township Council must prune new municipal budget
The Howell Township Council is now in the process of reviewing the yearly budget. The one thought the council should consider when examining the budget is that "difficult times require difficult measures."

The Howell taxpayer needs the council to scrutinize the budget at greater depth and extract greater efficiencies from each department.

After reviewing the budget, there should also be an earnest consideration of consolidating departments and holding in abeyance certain projects until town resources recover.

The final grave decision of trimming positions in every department should be considered, to at least maintain the present tax rate. It seems to me that when our local government comes up short, officials always turn to the taxpayer in the form of property taxes to bail them out.

[There are] certain disturbing facts such as the Freehold Regional High School District budget increase, the local Board of Education exemption from the 4 percent cap, the country heading for a recession and basic necessities continuing to rise at meteoric rates.

These circumstances as well as the impending increase in local taxes due to state cutbacks strain the individual taxpayer who is pleading loudly for relief. We need our council to initiate a closer evaluation and aggressive approach which will lead to further areas of excise.

Ronald Campos

Howell