Barnegat Approves $20 Million Budget; Taxes Will Remain Stable
Both the proposed operating budget and the tax levy are lower, compared to last year's.
The Barnegat Township Committee approved a $20,298,326 municipal budget for 2012 last night, a figure that will result in a $16,136,619 total tax levy for the township.
The budget will be $303,000 less than last year's and the tax levy will be reduced by $3,000, according to Barnegat officials.
According to a document released by the township, the average assessed home value was approximately $238,200 for 2011 and 2012.
"Based on this assessed value, the average tax bill will remain stable for 2012," the document said.
Members of the Township Committee have expressed pride at being able to reduce both the proposed operating budget and the tax levy for the second year in a row.
"It is a significant accomplishment to have a budget that represents for the second year a decrease in both the tax levy and the overall budget," Committeeman Martin Lisella has said.
"We're trending in the right direction," Mayor Al Cirulli previously said. "We are decreasing our expenses, and decreasing the amount of tax dollars needed to fund operations."
Township Administrator David Breeden has said personnel reduction and shared services agreements mainly with Ocean Township, but also with Ocean City, resulted in the savings.
Ray
9:10 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Merge Barnegat's and Waretowns courts, dispatch police for Waretown, 1 Chief for both towns, get Waretown Police accredited to cut down on lawsuits. These suggestions will save more money. BPD is too expensive to run.
NightShadows
9:34 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
"Township Administrator David Breeden said personnel reduction and shared services agreements mainly with Ocean Township, but also with Ocean City, resulted in the savings."
Ocean Township, yes, but...Ocean City? What shared service agreements does Barnegat have with Ocean City and isn't Ocean City where Breeden lives?
Mike Howard
9:39 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Talk about a mixed up story. Last nights meeting lasted about 18 minutes yet it is reported here that all these people spoke in favor of this budget. It is reported here as if Mr. Billie spoke last night. Fact is, he wasn't at the meeting. Neither were Mr. Pecsi or Mr. Checchia. While they may have said these things in the passed, they did not say these things last night. I think the news should be reported as it happened, not put together to get an article written
Eric Thomas
8:16 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
But yet Mr. Bille's "pay" will not be cut.
How are we coming on that audit of TC members' time sheets? Are "The Boyz" behaving and honoring the law by WORKING a minimum of 35 hours each and every week?
C'mon Mr. Davis, ask Mr. Breeden to produce CERTIFIED time records for The Boyz.
Just, please, do not hold your breath while waiting for him to do so.
Mike Howard
6:31 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
While i'm glad the story was corrected, I still don't understand why it was incorrect the first time around. "Fluff" in a story doesn't make the story better, it makes it wrong. If you don't have enough skilled people to go to meetings, that's ok. Just don't put together other stories and try to sell them a facts.
Bob Wise
2:35 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
This "new" story is also misleading. The one that now it says it is written by Tom Davis and Katia Raina. I would suggest that the writers look at past Patch articles like this one http://barnegat-manahawkin.patch.com/articles/barnegats-budget-approved-in-3-2-vote After reading Mr. Davis's current story one may think that the two committeemen running for reelection did a great job last year, when in fact they RAISED THE TAX RATE. This is from last years story... Deputy Mayor Al Cirulli said nobody on the committee is happy about raising the tax rate, but with tumbling property values offering less tax revenue, they have little choice.“How many cuts are you going to make before nobody’s going to live in your town?” he said. “This is the best we can do. I don’t care who you bring in here, you’re not going to do much better unless you cut with an ax.”
Patch reporters should present the whole story. Mr. Davis you should have written that the tax rate went up last year instead of just reprinting the election time spin from Breeden. That was NOT breaking news, but breaking propaganda.
Bob Wise
2:52 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Or maybe you you don't have to "cut with an ax.” but steal from the open space fund for things like landscaping in front of the town hall trailer. Come on Patch you can do better. Do some reporting NOT repeating!
Xavier
3:43 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
@Bob, don't forget the money used to rent the barge for the fireworks display.
Bob Wise
6:03 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
$5,000.00 of tax payers open space funds spent on the Ex-Mayor's wife's barge. We just don't know how many years they waisted our tax dollars on this. They could have spent over $20,000.00 on her pirate parties. Outrageous! Was this included in this budget?...... Mr. Davis????
John B Taxpayer
4:02 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
There's free barges up by the Outerbridge in Staten Island, bilge pump optional!
Roadway Maintenence Warrior
7:54 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Lets remember on election day a BIG change can happen and float them away on the barge.
Eric Thomas
8:19 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Mr. Warrior - - Amen!
However, in all probability, the Romney coattails will be long in Barnegat. Mr. Cirulli and Mr. Melchiondo's political futures depend on that.
And while the democratic challengers should have more of a visual and verbal presence NOW, they (or Pluto) would be an improvement.
Certainly they could do no worse.
Mr Coffee Mug
6:40 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Really you guys never stop ! I have to constantly laugh, Its like having a never ending circus side show. I respect your rights to express yourselves. You all remind me of that stupid staged TV show = Jersey Shore. Your at the meetings and being the town joker's//crier's. Your never ending crying on here, Id like to thank you so much for the great Laughs.
Eric Thomas
8:44 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Laugh on; glad you find other people's opinions entertaining, should help absord your excess time.
Why not do something different. Like offer a fact-supported opinion of the current state of affairs in Barnegat. The town's state of repair. How it will handle future growth. Delivery of services, etc.?
It remains no secret that any budget stabilization came about solely thanks to Mother Nature. Had there been a normal snow removal effort, The Boyz would never get to gloat or falsely claim their "management skills" saved taxpayers a dime.
It is apathy that makes government complacent. People who sit silently figuring what they might choose to say will never make a difference. Kind of like Barnegat's abysmal turnouts on election day. All that does is validate the mediocrity (being benevolent) that The Boyz hand down month-after-month, year-after-year.
Tell us, if The Boyz have made Barnegat a paradise, why is the town's landscape speckled with hundreds of homes that cannot be sold even at rock bottom prices?