County hit hard by budget cuts
All but three Burlington County municipalities will receive less state aid in the 2009 fiscal year than they do in the current year - and 30 will have their aid reduced by more than the state average of 2 percent under Gov. Jon Corzine's budget proposal.
The figures were released Friday by the state Department of Community Affairs, three days after Corzine unveiled a state budget that cut state aid for municipalities by $32 million.
Information released by the DCA indicated the cuts were based largely on each town's wealth and existing tax rates. Towns considered wealthy, and with low tax rates, received the largest percentage cuts - 5 percent. Towns with what the state considers high tax rates and low wealth received no reduction in aid.
In Burlington County, the largest aid cuts were the 4 percent decreases to Chesterfield, Cinnaminson, Hainesport, Mansfield, Moorestown and Mount Laurel. All six were labeled as having high incomes and moderate taxes, according to the DCA.
The smallest aid reductions were the 0.5 percent cuts to Beverly and Willingboro. Both those towns were labeled low income, with moderate tax rates.
Bordentown City, Mount Holly, Palmyra, Pemberton Borough and Riverside made up the remainder of county towns with aid cuts below the state average.
Bass River, Pemberton Township and Woodland Township received net increases in total aid because all or large amounts of their territory is in the protected Pinelands Reserve. That qualified them for additional municipal aid to offset the loss of tax revenue there.
Burlington City received the most state assistance, with $5.8 million in state aid, followed by Burlington Township, with $5.3 million, and Willingboro, with $4.4 million.
Fieldsboro's $11,504 in total state aid was the lowest amount among Burlington County towns.
DCA Commissioner Joseph Doria defended the governor's budget Friday by stressing that the cuts were necessary, while still protecting the most needy.
"While this budget is lower than the one the governor proposed in his first year in office, it does reaffirm his commitment to maintaining essential services and protecting those in need of assistance during these difficult economic times," Doria said in a statement.
Cinnaminson Committeeman Anthony Minniti lashed out at the Democratic governor for the decrease to his town, arguing the governor was penalizing municipalities that have managed their finances well.
"Cinnaminson has worked tirelessly to keep our taxes in check and we've been a leader in shared services; the reward we've received from Corzine is to be further penalized," the GOP committeeman said Friday. "It shows how upside down the priorities are in the state of New Jersey and why change is needed in Trenton."
Moorestown Mayor Dan Roccato also criticized the aid cuts, which he said would force Moorestown residents to pay for poor fiscal management by state lawmakers.
"The system in Trenton is so broken and the financial decisions are so out of step with reality that we at the local level end up having to fix their mess," said Roccato, a Republican.
"We're at the end of a very bad food chain and I find it insulting that their action or inaction means Moorestown taxpayers will pay more."
Evesham Mayor Randy Brown, a Democrat, defended the governor's budget and said Evesham's 2.5 percent aid cut was manageable.
"In the economic environment we're in today, to only lose $100,000 [aid] is a bit of a relief," Brown said, adding that Corzine didn't reduce state aid to school districts.
"We know the local taxpayers in Evesham won't be looking down the double barrel of a large tax increase from the schools or municipality," Brown said.
Pemberton Township Mayor David Patriarca, a Democrat, said he was relieved his town escaped a decrease, particularly since the local budget he proposed already called for a local purpose tax increase.
"We were glad not to see the 2 percent cut," Patriarca said. "If we had that on top of what we're already facing, I don't think we could take it."
Town /2008 /2009/ % change
Bass River $394,683 $528,224 +33.8
Beverly $347,161 $345,425 - 0.5
Bordentown City $483,158 $475,798 - 1.5
Bordentown Twp. $1,163,352 $1,127,048 - 3.1
Burlington City $5,971,008 $5,821,737 - 2.5
Burlington Twp. $5,470,151 $5,333,397 - 2.5
Chesterfield $697,686 $669,778 - 4.0
Cinnaminson $2,479,985 $2,417,073 - 4.0
Delanco $520,653 $507,671 - 2.5
Delran $1,649,352 $1,608,305 - 2.5
Eastampton $550,464 $536,703 - 2.5
Edgewater Park $871,620 $849,830 - 2.5
Evesham $4,149,298 $4,046,956 - 2.5
Fieldsboro $114,363 $111,504 - 2.5
Florence $1,742,318 $1,698,760 - 2.5
Hainesport $517,789 $497,168 - 4.0
Lumberton $1,654,401 $1,613,055 - 2.5
Mansfield $673,667 $646,720 - 4.0
Maple Shade $2,204,261 $2,149,154 - 2.5
Medford $2,637,430 $2,578,988 - 2.2
Medford Lakes $373,383 $364,048 - 2.5
Moorestown $2,444,470 $2,346,536 - 4.0
Mount Holly $1,911,826 $1,873,590 - 2.0
Mount Laurel $3,700,262 $3,552,296 - 4.0
New Hanover $1,013,321 $980,388 - 3.3
North Hanover $1,014,011 $981,056 - 3.2
Palmyra $686,561 $676,263 - 1.5
Pemberton Borough $126,758 $124,909 - 1.5
Pemberton Twp. $3,605,825 $3,610,367 +0.1
Riverside $993,179 $973,316 - 2.0
Riverton $297,283 $289,851 - 2.5
Shamong $811,017 $783,309 - 3.4
Southampton $1,618,089 $1,557,224 - 3.8
Springfield $550,259 $536,509 - 2.5
Tabernacle $868,915 $838,325 - 3.5
Washington Twp. $1,267,597 $1,231,715 - 2.8
Westampton $843,724 $822,807 - 2.5
Willingboro $4,405,460 $4,383,433 - 0.5
Woodland $1,376,813 $1,388,531 +0.9
Wrightstown $489,060 $476,833 - 2.5
County total $62,690,613 $61,354,600 -2.1
State total $1.611 billion $1.578 billion - 2.0
Source: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs
Email: dlevinsky@phillyBurbs.com
March 14, 2009 06:25 AM
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