Council Approves $72.5 million Municipal Budget at Public Hearing Monday

Bloomfield residents can expect to pay an average of $190 more year for their municipal taxes, said Township Finance Director Robert Renna at Monday night’s council meeting.  His figures were based on homes valued at about $280,000. 

The proposed budget was $72,647,149 million, with a little more than $56,511,706 to be raised by municipal taxes.  Referring to the state tax increase of 5.6%, after the meeting Mayor McCarthy said wryly, "we were clobbered by the governor but with this budget, we've done everything we needed to do."

The largest portion of tax payer money will be alotted for public safety and employee benefits. 

Township Municipal Clerk Louise Pagano noted that the original budget had been amended by three miscellaneous grants recently awarded to the township.  The grants were as follows: a clean communities program grant for the amount of $61,148; a Municipal Alliance on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse grant for $36,000 and a Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities grant for $8,750.  Special items of General Revenue, including the three grants, totaled $1,501,376.

The council voted unanimously to adopt the budget. 

After the meeting, Renna noted that the public hearing had only discussed school and municipal budget figures because the county budget figures were still not in.  He said he expected them shortly. 

The , or about $20 more per household per month, based on properties with an average assessment of $280,300.

Copies of the municipal budget are available in the office of the Municipal Clerk, Louise M. Palagano, at the Town Hall, 1 Municipal Plaza, between the hours of 9:00 am and 4:00 pm.

Other business

In relation to the Lion Gate/Scientific Glass project, Councilman Nicholas Joanow protested Mayor McCarthy’s right to override the council’s vote using his mayoral veto power. 

“The minority of this council can override the majority, by virtue of your veto,” said Joanow, repeating a position he has taken in the past.  “To use your veto, I believe, is entirely unfair and doesn’t represent the people.”

The mayor countered, “I believe it is fair.  ”

McCarthy and Joanow have disagreed on the use of the wetland property for years, with McCarthy saying half of it should be used for residential development while Joanow believes it should be preserved in its natural state.  

After the meeting McCarthy explained that in 2009 . “The [fact that I have power of] veto was to prevent a lawsuit that was happening," he said.  “It was my .  It was the will of the people.”

Public Comment

Prior to the budget presentation, Bloomfield resident Robert Brasseur addressed the council.

Noting that he had revised his own tax estimate with the help of Palagano and Renna and based his figures on a home assessed at $357,200, he said, “My county, school and municipal taxes will increase by approximately $600, or 5.13% . . . my total annual tax bill is estimated at $12,422.  

“I believe that the school district and the municipality have been taking unfair advantage of the citizens of Bloomfield.  This is happening during a period of an unstable economy, when many people are struggling to live in a decent manner.  These elected officials and school officials  . . . are taking us down the road to financial disaster.”

Brasseur also spoke briefly on the mayor’s power of veto.

“Even though the majority of the Bloomfield citizens may believe that there should be an override to a veto, Mayor, the fact that you have the legal right to a veto . . . should weigh heavily on what’s best for this township and its good people, and not on one sole opinion.”

Finally, he commented on , saying, “I, as a tax-paying citizen, was unnecessarily embarrassed when I reviewed the 11:30 telecast of last Tuesday’s conference meeting, by the unkind and inconsiderate commentary and accusations made by some members of this council – to each other.  Bitterness beyond good common sense should be discussed in closed session.  These open conference and council meetings are designed for the good of this community, not for the washing and airing out of your dirty laundry.”