Live Updates from Toms River Township Budget Hearing

Toms River Patch will provide live updates from the Toms River Council budget hearing, which begins at 6 p.m. today in town hall.

7:02 p.m. public hearing on budget is closed.

7 p.m. Adams Avenue resident said she is concerned with her ability to pay the increased taxes and worries if she will end up another statistic among house foreclosures.

6:55 p.m. Carole Benson asks about the decreased valuation and tax appeals. Shives said that unfortunately the budget begins in January, the tax appeals come in April, and are decided in July, and it is tough to anticipate, even with a reserve for tax appeals.

6:53 p.m. A Hazelwood Drive resident urged the council to vote no, saying that as taxpayers we don’t have the money. “You work for us, you ask us for the money, we don’t have it to give to you.” She said. “Find it in the budget: cut cut cut.”

6: 50 p.m. A Kent Drive resident agrees the TRMUA needs to be absorbed into Toms River.

6:46 p.m. Mary Malagiere, a candidate for township council, asks about the parking authority. Kubiel said the parking authority is separate entity and is not self-liquidating. The Toms River Parking Authority has its own budget and administrator, Kubiel said.

6:40 p.m. A Barcelona Drive resident discusses spending on playgrounds, when street potholes run rampant. Councilman Sevastakis said the township uses a schedule to decide which streets to repave and repair.

6:38 p.m. A Brookside section resident complains about the effectiveness of snow removal, saying four days passed after the Dec. 26 storm before plowing there began. Councilman Greg McGuckin said that numerous meetings were held analyzing the snow removal response, and that it was agreed the township did a stellar job.

6:37 p.m. Councilman George Wittman asks Shives about the tax and budget impact of Brush's suggestions. Shives said that the TRMUA would become a self-liquidating utility if it would be absorbed into the township.

6:30 p.m. Brush suggests the council has the authority to reduce the open space tax, which is still a penny and half. Toms River Township Attorney Kenneth B. Fitzsimmons said it would require a new referendum to set a new rate.

Brush suggests combining the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority into existing department in town hall. “The time has long past for this agency to be consolidated with town hall,” Brush said.

6:25 p.m. Former Mayor Paul Brush asks some questions on the budget. Brush is also running for mayor in the coming election.

6:23 p.m.: Shives presentation ends and the hearing is open to the public.

6:21 p.m.: Overall size of budget is 1.9 percent more than last year. Salaries are down $100,000 from 2010 budget. Overriding objective of this budget, Shives said, was to maintain the current level of service.

6:20 p.m. Shives announced the budget includes the use of six furlough days for the Teamsters Union, 12 furlough days for the so-called white collar union.

6:10 p.m.: Other factors Shives said is impacting the budget: decreased valuations of property, with the overall assessed valuation has decreased from $615 million to $16.95 billion. State pension costs are growing 27 percent to $1.3 million.

6:07 p.m.: Shives explained a large poriton of the available surplus was eaten up by the winter storms of late 2010 and 2011. To the tune of $1.3 million, the storms racked up costs for overtime, equipment repairs, ice melt and contractors. Shives said the town is looking for reimbursement from FEMA, which if approved could come later in 2011.

Update: 6:05 p.m.: Township Administrator Paul Shives begins to present a Powerpoint presentation on the township budget, explaining first the factors that most impacted the budget creation.