Parsippany Expects Budget To Be Introduced At Monday Meeting

PARSIPPANY, NJ — After months of delays and disagreements between Parsippany's administration and Township Council, it appears the council will introduce the budget at Monday's special meeting. The meeting, which includes a public hearing, will take place at 5 p.m. this Monday at the Municipal Building (1001 Parsippany Blvd.).

The town faces a $9 million deficit, and disputes over how to manage the shortfall have caused delays in the budgetary process. Those disagreements continued at Tuesday's Township Council meeting.

Mayor Michael Soriano introduced a budget July 20 with a 2.15 percent tax increase. The township avoided utility-surplus transfers to offset budgetary shortfalls, opting instead to explore canceling appropriation reserves and treating township utilities as self-sustaining entities.

Tuesday's meeting featured a resolution to cancel current fund appropriation reserves, worth $1.1 million. But the resolution failed, with three no votes and one yes. Council President Michael dePierro and Councilmembers Janice McCarthy and Emily Peterson voted against the measure, while Councilmember Paul Carifi Jr. supported it.

Carifi said constituents have urged local government not to raise taxes this year as they deal with the coronavirus crisis.

"I know there's going to be a crisis again next year," Carifi said. "But to ask our residents, to overburden them with an increase above what's already been proposed, I just in my heart can't say that to people that have lost their jobs."

But councilmembers who voted against the measure argued that it would exacerbate the budgetary crisis that they anticipate will extend into 2022's process.

"In my estimation in the budget, I see overestimated revenue, underestimated expenses and then kicking the can down the road with this $1.1 million," dePierro said. "This is going to do the same thing to us. Next year, we're going to have a big bubble, and it's going to burst. If we pay down a piece of it now, it'll be a smaller bubble next year."

Soriano is running for re-election against former mayor James Barberio, who has been a frequent critic of the administration's budgetary process. Soriano's campaign said taxes will need to increase by nearly 5 percent, since council voted down the resolution.

"Without this," Soriano said at Tuesday's meeting, "the 2.15 percent budget increase we are proposing will not be possible, and deep cuts will have to happen."

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