Beach Haven Council has introduced an $11.5 million municipal budget for the 2016 year, which is an increase of $365,534 over last year’s adopted plan. The amount to be raised by taxation is $7,980,499, which is an increase of $417,647 from the 2015 budget. Based on this year’s total property evaluation of $1.684 billion, the local tax rate of 48.42 cents per $100 assessed property value is an increase of 2.5 cents over last year ($25 more per $100,000 assessed property value).
Increases in the budget from 2015 include an additional $188,825 for salaries and wages, $29,639 in insurance and $28,444 for pensions. The debt service increased by $44,775, and the reserve for uncollected taxes increased by $33,863. A Winter Storm Jonas-related expense of $46,000 is also included in the budget, though the town expects to be reimbursed for the cost.
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| Photo via Pinterest The minimum appropriation for the town's public library this year is $675,320. |
To balance this year’s budget, the town is using an additional $193,910 in surplus over last year.
Anticipated Sandy disaster relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency decreased from 2015 by $250,000.
The minimum appropriation for the public library this year is $675,320.
The total appropriation for this year’s separate water utility budget is $1,796,000, which is lower than last year. Increases include an additional $37,101 for salaries and wages, $25,149 in operating expenses, $175,000 for the capital improvement fund and $12,750 in statutory expenses.
However, the $250,000 emergency authorization for storm-related expenses has finally been paid off.
“Last year we had budgeted the last of that, so that is not present in this year’s budget,” Borough Manager Rich Crane stated during the council’s regular meeting on Monday, March 14.
All total, there was no change in the anticipated revenue.
In other meeting news, council awarded a $133,513 contract to Earle Asphalt of Farmingdale for reconstruction of the 300 block of Coral Avenue. A $90,811 contract was also awarded to Mathis Construction of Little Egg Harbor for the 2016 stormwater replacement project on portions of Pennsylvania Avenue and Seventh Street.
When local resident Edmund Seith asked if anyone noticed that the water tower “that we paid a fortune for” is peeling on the bottom, Crane said officials are in the process of repairing it, which will be an additional cost. The job was done right before Superstorm Sandy for just under $700,000, and the peeling started about a year ago, Councilman Robert Keeler said. Councilman Don Kakstis suggested council look over the contract and methodology and get more of a warranty next time.
Council adopted an ordinance amendment to establish a $1.50 quarterly charge for all accounts in the Beach Haven Water Conveyance System as well as to maintain a water usage monitoring system to notify consumers of excessive usage. An ordinance to repeal the relief ordinance for property owners seeking a one-time billing adjustment due to any unusually high water charges was approved on first reading.
An ordinance amendment was also adopted that in certain residential districts will limit permits for tents or temporary structures to four per year per site.
On first reading, council approved a 2016 salary ordinance, as well as a 3.5 percent cap bank amounting to $282,761 for the 2016 municipal budget.
The members approved a resolution to place a referendum on the November ballot to establish an open space preservation fund and assessment. Such a fund would be supported by a separate property tax.
Before approving a resolution for this year’s vendor ice cream permits, Kakstis said next year he would like to decrease the amount of allowable licenses.
“It’s getting to be a real nuisance on some of the streets with them showing up every 10 minutes,” he stated.
Crane noted that beach replenishment is expected to resume in town on April 9, beginning at 13th Street and moving south.
“We still have our fingers crossed that all goes well,” he said. “The replenishment portion of this project hopefully will be completed before the summer 2016 season gets into full swing.”
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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