Toms River Council Meets Tonight to Decide Budget Cap Bank
Council could also discuss name of softball complex on North Bay
After preparing a tax plan and township budget lower than the allowable 2 percent increase, Toms River is hoping to bank the remainder to possibly use in next year's budget.
By state law, municipal budgets can increase the tax levy and appropriations no more than 2 percent each year. Township Administrator Paul Shives said Toms River's proposed budget is significantly under that cap, and is asking the township council to approve "banking" that amount to possibly offset next year's budget.
Shives said the proposed 2012 budget is under the 2 percent cap for both appropriations and tax levy. The tax levy is $568,000 under, and appropriations are $8.6 million under the cap. Shives said the council may decide to bank those full amounts at its meeting tonight
"We are permitted to carry that ahead. So if next year we are over cap, we can use that if needed," Shives said.
Shives said the cap bank is a tool municipalities use to help plan for the coming year, and that while Toms River creates a cap bank each year, the township has yet to use it.
| For additional coverage on the proposed township budget, click here. Toms River will hold its budget hearing May 1 in town hall. |
Tonight the Toms River Township Council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. in town hall, for its regularly scheduled meeting.
On the agenda so far for tonight's meeting is the introduction of ordinances:
- to create three on-street ADA parking spaces on South Street and Windsor Avenue at the Toms River East Little League Complex.
- to ban the sale of firearms in the special improvement district downtown.
- to clarify and modernize the criteria and procedures governing the issuance of towing license.
The complete agenda is available online, here.
Township council members and Mayor Thomas Kelaher have a comments section to the meeting where the officials might give reports on township activities.
However if you can't make the meeting, you can view the broadcast live on the township website, here.
HR
6:20 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
This Council is out of control. Responsible spending is their job however it's turned into let's suck the life out of the residents so they are forced to move. Projects have been approved on the basis of a special select few of the population instead of the residents as a whole. You are self serving TR Council members and your irresponsibility is transparent and that's about the only thing that is.
George
7:32 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
What's the point of the 2% cap if these tax-and-spend Toms River politicians are going to spend every nickel available next year, even if it's above the cap? That was not the intent of the cap imposed by their beloved governor!
Greg
7:28 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
HR you are soooooooooooo correct. The taxpayers of Toms River are just another pawn on their chess board. The only thing that these people are worried about is what project they can give to one of their friends and what sports team needs a new field so they can make sure that they get their votes! I just hope that the voting public remembers that in November! Not only for the town but also for the school board because they are NO better!
George
7:37 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Not a word in the story or in the agenda about naming the softball fields. They'd better not name that big-bucks boondoggle for one of their political cronies. (It's our money, so name it "TR Taxpayers Cemetery.")
1stcav
8:10 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Spend within the budget like I have to at home , and stop planing what to do with funds that you consider EXTRA money..stop the out of control spending !!!!!! Ball fields, splash parks ect. STOP Already...Times are tough on the street, but NOT in town hall...spend , spend and spend !
Greg
8:56 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Hey resident taxpayers of Toms River! Get ready to have an indoor tennis court shoved down our throats! A member of the Recreation Committee was heard telling the rest of the committee that they had nothing to worry about, that the indoor courts we going to be built because the committee has the money for them. Is this the reason why Town Hall wants the Council to vote for this "Cap Bank"? Or are they looking to tap into the Open Space Tax to pay for this like they did for this fiasco of the girls softball complex? I just hope that ALL OF THE VOTERS is Wards 3 and 4 remember this in November!! This is going to be the ONLY way that this council is going to learn anything!!! They could careless that the residents are having a hard time keeping their homes due to the townships useless spending. We have to make cuts to our spending at home because we are not like the township and have an unlimited checkbook. Also, resident taxpayers I hope that you all come out and vote out not only the two members of the council that are on the ballot but, you will also vote out the two people who are up for reelection on the Toms River BOE, Just in case you did not hear Seaside Heights Board of Education voted to remove Mr. Roselli from the Superintendent position that he once held and gave it to the Superintendent of Central Regional because they are embarrassed by the goings on of this school district which by the way has many shared service agreements with the township.
Mr. ?
9:29 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
So maybe for the $1 we taxpayers of TR Regional received, now Rosselli will put that 1$'s worth of effort into our school system...where it belongs. So the Ritacco "black eye" remains. Embarrassments....Snooki and Ritacco.....together...perfect! Foreclosure Field or Patronage Field are good names. Is a "cap" like a "speed limit"? and you don't have to go that fast or spend that much? This 2% has become an insurance and guaranteed spending plan. So add up the 2%, plus waiver obligations of bonding debt, plus pension and health care exclusions, plus emergency appropriations and plus the abuse of the Open Space tax and now plus banking the unused cap limit and YOU HAVE ....+,+,+,+,+,+ = taxes, taxes,taxes,taxes,...........................
Bob Hockenfrocken
9:45 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
So what's the big idea about banning the sale of firearms downtown? Why is that important? If there is possibly someone who had the guts to actually start a business down there selling firearms, why stop them? The entire downtown is an embarrassment to the Township. And since we're on the topic of business, like I said six years ago, changing the name to Toms River Township from Dover Township WILL NOT bring businesses to this town. Changing the Planning Board and Zoning Board will.
Al
11:02 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Yes, actually, there is someone who was planning on selling firearms downtown on Robbins St. I too would like to know why the council wants to make it difficult for a business to operate.
Tired of the status quo
8:09 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
This person must not be politically connected to someone either on the council or the powers to be.
Thomas A. Mathis
10:24 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
In the 50s and 60s there was Henry Grueller's Sport & Hobby Shop on East Water Street that sold guns. In the 70s and 80s there was Mike Taugher & Jo Placente's Sportsman Guide on West Water Street. Many police officers were customers of these stores. Also you had Dave Wallach's store on North Main St selling guns before moving to Rt.37 in the 70s. The police were customers there too.
What is the purpose of town government supressing a legitimate business?
alice
11:41 pm on Sunday, May 6, 2012
The BID ( business improvement developement) is hired to bring more business into the downtown area. Looks more like they are hired to push business away from the area. No one wants to go downtown especially on the weekends its a ghost town. Bringing more of a variety of businesses into the area ie.. gun shops, tatoo parlors, more restaurants, more nail salons, more clothing stores and more shoe stores would make more people want to visit downtown more. Lets face it Downtown Toms River is boring!!!!! Stop changing the zoning laws and start getting more businesses into the area..
dottie peters
10:53 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Now the council is going to clarify and modernize the criteria and procedures governing the issuance of towing license?!! WHAT, REALLY? Thats only because they got caught with their pants down when they tried to not approve other towing companies BESIDE ACCURATE and PRICE RITE as police towers. Can you say CORRUPTION!!!! Guess the saying is true, its not who you know, but who you bl**!
Al
11:04 am on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Can someone clarify if I'm understanding this correctly? The township can be under the cap one year, and "bank" the amount they were under and exceed the cap by that amount in the following year? This seems contrary to the spirit of the cap (much like the user fees that the state is hopefully going to abolish soon). Trenton should know about this.
STSV2010
4:59 pm on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
How about the "Pay-for-Play Softball Field"?
Mr. ?
10:03 pm on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Nope! Not "pay for play!" If that was the case, then those leagues would have paid for the softball complex. Instead its "pay TO play" fields with contracts and campaign contributions paid for by recycled taxpayers dollars. kinda like votes paid for by those contributions either in the form of monetary campaign contributions, or by payment of those patronage votes by the organized groups they cater to. And of late, its the veterans they are pandering to! Do homeless people vote? Sorry, my bad.
Tired of the status quo
8:16 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
I heard someone at the council meeting last night talk about the fencing that is being placed at the softball complex, he said that this fence in not what was to be used according to the plans that this person saw? Can anyone explain what he was talking about? He also stated that this not the fence that we paid for? I am confused so, if anyone could help I would greatly appreciate it. For as a taxpayer I am tired as I am sure are many of you are of being used and abused by the council and school district just so they can get the votes when it comes to reelection time.
Chief Wahoo
11:37 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
So add up the 2%, plus waiver obligations of bonding debt, plus pension and health care exclusions, plus emergency appropriations and plus the abuse of the Open Space tax and now plus banking the unused cap limit and YOU HAVE ....+,+,+,+,+,+ = taxes, taxes,taxes,taxes,...........................
THIS SUMS IT UP PERFECTLY..........NEXT TIME YOU YAHOOS THINK CHRISTIE IS DOING A GREAT JOB AND HELPING THE SINKING PROPERTY TAXPAYERS......THIS IS WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU.......(AND THATS NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT CHRISTIES LOVE OF FEES !!!)
PROPERTY TAX REVOLT IS THE ONLY ANSWER ~