Toms River is expected to receive an answer in the next two to three weeks on whether it will receive all, a portion, or none of the $8 million in state funding its requesting to reduce a 6.5 cent tax increase in the proposed $123,853,514 municipal budget.

Toms River Town Hall
Toms River Town Hall (Townsquare Media NJ)
loading...

The Township Council was forced this week to adopt a worst-case scenario spending plan while awaiting an answer from the Community Development Block Grant Essential Services Program (CDBG ESG) announced earlier this year by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

"We can certainly justify $8 million without a question. That's the hole that we have from the ratable base that has not yet recovered," said Township Administrator Paul Shives in reference to damage from Superstorm Sandy in October, 2012.

If there is state funding, Shives anticipates it to be in the $3.5 million range, and pointed out it would cut the proposed 6.5 cent tax rate hike by about half.

"Our plan, even if we get no funding, is to cut that back to about a 3.3 cent tax increase," Shives said. The Township would use surplus to make up the difference.

The owner of a home assessed at $250,000 would pay about $79.00 more in municipal taxes.

The overall budget is $2.4 million less than the 2015 spending plan. Shives noted the Township did as much as it could do, in terms of cutting back, without impacting the level of service.

"If we are able to keep the expenditure side of the budget as introduced in tact, we will be able to bring the police force back up to 160," said Shives. The Police Department has been short about 8 officers. Shives added, "We've had 55 retirements since 2010." That's 34 percent of the police force, according to Shives.

The Police Department has maintained a 160-member force for almost 20 years, said Shives.

 

 

 

More From Beach Radio