Township Councilmen Approve 2011 Municipal Budget

Members of the township council unanimously approved the 2011 municipal budget Monday night, which includes amendments made last month.

The council after auditor Gary Vinci explained that the original budget overestimated revenue from a joint services health agreement with Emerson and Rochelle Park by $23,000.

To adjust for the decrease on the revenue side of the budget, the council agreed to increase the fees and permits revenue by $13,000 and the uniform construction code revenue by $10,000.

The other change to the budget was to move money meant for police dispatching into the line item for salary instead of other expense account, which was originally the designation.

No residents or members of the governing body commented on the spending plan during the council meeting Monday.

The $12,467,816 budget was after several budget meetings. According to the budget statement, a homeowner with a house assessed at the average value of $543,000 will see a $32 tax increase for the year.

The total 2011 budget is 2.9 percent greater than the 2010 spending plan and falls below the 2 percent tax levy cap. The amount of local taxes that will be collected is $8,613,251.

Councilman Joseph D'Urso was absent from the meeting Monday.