Howell Officials Trim $246K From Township Budget

HOWELL, NJ — The Howell Township Council and mayor voted Thursday to approve the first reading of an amended 2017 municipal budget after cutting an additional $246,000 from the plan.

But residents attending Thursday's special meeting continued to blast the council and mayor over the budget, saying the cuts were not sufficient. The final cuts took another .37 cents off the municipal purposes tax rate for 2017.

"We heard you say there was $900,000 in cuts needed. The mayor said she had $600,000 in suggestions," one woman said. "What happened to that?"

Council members said some of the funding was required by state statute and cannot be cut. Other items, they said, had been cut as far as possible.

"We're taking away our cushion," Councilwoman Pauline Smith said. "I think we've worked really hard on this. If I have any concerns it's that we're cutting to much."

Several residents again demanded the council take action to rein in the school budget, which receives the lion's share of property tax money.

"Until we see change in Trenton nothing will change," Deputy Mayor Robert Nicastro said, noting the governing body has no say over the school budget.

"You need to exercise political influence," one man said, to which Nicastro said, "You folks are the ones with the power here," urging residents to take their complaints to the Howell Township school budget hearing, which is scheduled for May 3.

"The people have the power over the board of education," said Don Smith, the councilwoman's husband. "We have to stop electing people who work for schools," he said.

Though the room started out about half-full, a number of angry residents got up and walked out, grumbling that the council was not cutting the budget further.

"The whole system is corrupt," one woman said to her husband. "It's just broken."

Logo via Howell Township