State Aid to Galloway Remains Steady

Mayor Keith Hartman is hoping that the continued aid Galloway Township will be receiving from the state will be enough to avoid layoffs and to continue to maintain services throughout the upcoming year.

In his budget address Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Chris Christie pledged not to cut state aid to municipalities as part of his proposed 2012 budget. When it was announced late Wednesday night that Galloway would receive $2,581,284 in state aid for next year, that statement was confirmed.

“If we had more aid, of course it would be better, but I think everyone anticipated a decrease,” Hartman said Thursday morning. “Every municipality has to prepare to make the tough decisions to stay within the 2 percent tax cap, and I think we’re better off than most of the other municipalities.”

Galloway Township has had to make some tough decisions recently due to cuts in state aid. The police force has seen massive reductions, residents have seen some services cut off and township offices are closed on Mondays because of furloughs.

This week, the council was forced to make another tough decision when it eliminated a position in the Construction Office.

Galloway entered the year facing a $1.7 million deficit.

The township expects to introduce its proposed budget for next year toward the end of April, and Hartman doesn’t anticipate any changes either way following the announcement that state aid won’t be decreased.

“We budgeted for flat aid, and then we waited for the numbers to see if there would be a decrease,” Hartman said. “We were more mentally prepared for a decrease, but our numbers are representative of us receiving flat aid.

“(Christie) is dealing with a budget that’s out of control. He has to get his spending under control. He doesn’t want to see property taxes increase, and he recognizes that he can’t cut aid any deeper.”

During his address on Tuesday, Christie said, "And also in the context of property taxes, this year’s budget continues to provide municipalities with steady aid. That's right, mayors—at the exact same level as last year. So there is no excuse for this relief to be eaten up with higher local taxes, between receiving no further cut in municipal aid, and implementing a 2 percent cap on property taxes."

While some critics might view this statement as misleading due to the fact that certain costs will rise throughout the year, including certain salaries, Hartman dismisses this argument, stating that the township has done everything it can to ensure that costs won’t rise.