2012 MUNICIPAL BUDGET The 2012 Budget represents an increase of$67.60 for the average house assessed at $65,000.

00 for Municipal Taxes. This is our second best start in the last ten years as shown in the chart below.
MUNICIPAL MUNICIPAL RATE TAX AMOUNT AMOUNT OF INCREASE

YEAR

ASSESSMENT 65,000.00 65,000.00 65,000.00 65,000.00 65,000.00 65,000.00 65,000.00 65,000.00 65,000.00 65,000.00 65,000.00

2002 $ 2003 $ 2004 $ 2005 $ 2006 $ 2007 $ 2008 $ 2009 $ 2010 $ 2011 $ 2012 $

$
$
$ $

$
$ $

$ $
$

2.352 2.505 2.594 2.745 2.919 3.105 3.341 3.530 3.684 3.836 3.940

$
$ $ $ $ $
$ $ $

$ $

1,528.80 1,628.25 1,686.10 1,784.25 1,897.35 2,018.25 2,171.65 2,294.50 2,394.60 2,493.40 2,561.00

$ $ $ $
$ $ $ $

99.45 57.85 98.15 113.10 120.90 153.40 122.85 100.10

$ $

~ ~

'*

The preparation of the 2012 Municipal Budget was a difficult process. When we first started out the budget was at an increase of$158.60 per house assessed at $65,000.00. The governing body worked diligently to reduce this amount and stabilize taxes without compromising the level of services. We were faced with Mandatory Appropriation increases such as:
APPROPRIATION AMOUNT OF INCREASE TAX DOLLAR VALUE FOR $65,000.00 HOUSE

-Pension - PERS Debt Service Group Insurance Plan for Employees Health Benefits Waiver -Other Insurance Workers Compensation Insurance ..JJtilities Reserve for Uncollected Taxes Total

$ $
$ $

$ $ $ $ $

11,634.00 25,690.44 18,000.00 12,500.00 4,000.00 38,150.00 28,500.00 226,898.00 365,372.44

$ $
$ $

$
$

$
$

One can see we faced a difficult task. The mandatory appropriation categories above have a tax impact of $82.89 for the average house assessed at $65,000.00.

Another challenge we faced was the loss in Net Valuation Taxable.

AMOUNT
2012 Net Valuation Taxable 2011 Net Valuation Taxable 286,524,148 287,805,187 (1,281,039)

Decrease of

This decrease of 1,281,039 in Net Valuation Taxable costs a house assessed at $65,000.00 about $11.00. In addition to the above despite all our efforts to collect taxes in a timely fashion and sending out reminder delinquent notices our Tax Collection Rate dropped from 97.82% in 2010 to 97.28% in 2011. This impact is reflected above in the increase of Reserve for Uncollected Taxes. In 2012 State Aid remained level. Our goal was to reduce costs with a minimal impact of loss of services to the residents. Some of those cuts were as follows: Switched Prescription Insurance Carrier savings of about $21,000.00 Eliminate free summer camp at the Youth Center savings of $28,000.00 In lieu of hiring two replacement Public Works Employees we hired a contractor for Grounds Maintenance by Bid savings of about $100,000.00 not including Health Benefits In lieu of hiring new employees for the Court we consolidated the Finance Office and moved personnel savings of about $20,000.00 Renew contract for Animal Control Services with the Township of Woodbridge as of 5-1-12 Agreement with Union County to share costs of Red Light Cameras saving $114,000.00

One Bulky Waste is still in the Budget. Fireworks are on for 2012.

We would like to inform residents that paying your taxes on time, in the year they are due, greatly reduces the reserve for uncollected taxes. To further explain, Each year the tax office is given the amount to collect through taxation which includes, County Tax County Open Space Tax School Tax Municipal Tax The Borough must pay the taxes due to the County and School whether or not the current taxes are paid by the taxpayer. When a taxpayer does not pay their taxes in the year they are due it ultimately will increase the tax rate the following year. To put it simply, all taxpayers suffer as a result of property owners not paying taxes in the year they are due. We will continue to try and stabilize taxes and maximize services to our residents. The Budget and other Budget Spreadsheets will be posted on the Borough of Roselle Park Web Page next week. The Public Hearing on the Budget will be on April 19,2012 at 7:00 PM here in Council Chambers.