Municipal Budget Update: Cuts Will Include Reduction of Three Employees

The borough's finance committee has put several plans of action in place in order to reduce the 2011 municipal budget which includes cuts to department budgets and the reduction of three borough employees from the payroll come July, Mayor Rose Heck stated in her report during the mayor and council meeting Tuesday night.

No specifics were given as to which positions would be cut or from what departments. The mayor stated that two will come as a result of lay-offs and one is from a retirement with no replacement.

“As previously noted this has been one of the worst budget years we have had in 25 years,” Mayor Heck stated. “Everything has hit in this one year. Tax appeals, surplus is down and low interest rates are very low, monies coming from permits are down, foreclosures, and of course pension and health benefits are up.” She added that there has been no legislation coming from Trenton to help.

Mayor Heck stated that the finance committee is now working on the results of its police arbitration. She said during this process it was noted that the department has lost seven men over the past five years.  Retirements had included a deputy chief, captain of detectives and lieutenants, none of which were replaced and the borough has since removed these from the police organizational chart via ordinance.

The department currently has 29 members and in the past had 32 members. Mayor Heck stated that “the department will remain at the number 30 when our budget is in better condition.”

She added the Department of Public Works is also one man short and will remain this way until the budget is in better condition.

The mayor added, “In cooperation with the Finance Committee and the present circumstances, department heads have made cuts and there is a reduction in overtime. We are still working hard to cuts costs without adversely impacting the services we need here in Hasbrouck Heights.”

At the mayor and council meeting earlier this month, borough officials stated that an . Since the budget was first introduced in late March, borough officials have stated that they would continue to work at reducing it. The proposed budget as it has been introduced is in the amount of $18,429,052 with a tax levy of $14,569,290 a 4.2 percent increase.

In addition, the borough is taking steps to make a district-wide reassessment of borough property for the 2012 tax year.