Hearing on municipal budget set for May 21 West Long Branch council introduces $9M spending plan BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer WEST LONG BRANCH - The Borough Council is expected to hold a public hearing on its proposed $9 million 2008 municipal budget on May 21. Council introduced the spending plan on April 16, which is calling for borough taxpayers to raise a $5.5 million tax levy. If approved, residents would see a 2.6- cent tax rate increase. "Our budget has only increased $357,539 from 2007," said West Long Branch Mayor Janet Tucci. "As a result of the much-publicized cuts in municipal aid by the state, it has been a difficult [budget] process in which each department's request was scrutinized and cuts were made," Tucci added. Borough taxpayers will see an increase from last year's 3.84 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation to 4.10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. With the average West Long Branch residence valued at $474,500, the average taxpayer would see an annual increase of $123.37 in their municipal taxes. West Long Branch received a $258,638 cut in state aid this year, Tucci said. She explained that the borough saw revenue increases this year in court fees, interest on taxes and interest on investments. "Most of the other revenues remained unchanged," Tucci said. "However, due to an increase in surplus, we were able to use $1,225,000 to increase our revenue in the amount of $25,000." Major operational expenses in the proposed budget are the result of contractual obligations relating to collective bargaining agreements, payments to the municipal library, health benefits and insurance, according to Tucci. "In addition, we are in the final year of a five-year phase-in of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System pension contributions and the fourth year of the phase-in for the Public Employees Retirement System pension contribution, which added a total of $149,000 to the budget," Tucci said. The borough's capital improvements budget calls for improvements to several borough roads, as well as the purchase of two thermal imaging cameras and two motorized stretchers for the borough's fire department and first aid squad. "The police department has requested three mobile vision digital video systems," Tucci said. "These requests have been examined closely by the council and deemed to be necessary to meet the demands of the 21st century in keeping our town safe and sound, and protecting the quality of life of our residents," Tucci said. At the meeting, Tucci thanked the borough taxpayers for achieving a 98 percent tax collection rate, which she said helps to keep the borough's reserve for uncollected taxes at a minimum.