Introduced Eatontown Budget Calls For Higher Taxes

Eatontown residents' taxes will be going up this year if the Eatontown Council adopts its budget at the numbers that were introduced during last night's meeting.

The 2012 budget totals $22,603,194, according to Borough Auditor Robert Oliwa, and is under the cap by $1,043,492. This represents a $561,375 increase over the 2011 budget.

The amount to be raised by taxation is $14,727,423 and is under the allowable local property tax cap by $262,259.

A borough home valued at $305,000 will be assessed at $2,153 of local municipal taxes. This represents an increase of $76.25 over the 2011 amount of $2,077.

The introduced tax rate will be 70.6 cents per $100 of assessed value, an increase of 2.5 cents over the 2011 tax rate of 68.1 cents.

Eatontown's municipal state aid for 2012 was $1,464,615, a 0 percent increase over the 2011 and 2010 figures. From 2008 to 2010, Eatontown's municipal state aid has been reduced by a total of $605,195.

Oliwa said the $3,225,000 of surplus was utilized for the 2012 budget, and the balance remaining in the surplus account as of Dec. 31 is $860,827.

He said the largest increase in the 2012 budget is health insurance for municipal employees, which jumped $242,045 from 2011. Borough health insurance is set at $3,157,300 in 2012 budget.

Police salary and wages actually decreased by $50,340 from 2011 for a total of $4,784,372.

The capital budget totals $2,151,000 and includes planned projects for road and building improvements as well as the planned acquisition of vehicles, equipment and a fire truck.

There will be a public hearing during the April 11 Eatontown Council meeting to further discuss the introduced budget.

Mayor Gerald Tarantolo said he understands that the finance committee and department heads worked hard on the budget, but that he would like to see it lowered more if possible.

"Any increase on taxes has an effect on many people," Mayor Tarantolo said. "The budget is a working document and I encourage the council to scrutinize it."