Politics & Government

Twp. Committee Expected to Approve Lower Tax Levy

The committee meets for a public hearing and final adoption of the 2013 budget Thursday.

The Chatham Township Committee is expected to approve a 2013 municipal budget with a lower tax levy from last year when they meet Thursday.

The budget calls for a reduced local tax levy from 2012 levels of 3/10 of a cent. For the average home assessed at $750,000, this would mean a tax decrease of $25.50.

The 2012 tax rate was at 28.8 cents per $100 of assessed value, for a total average municipal tax of $2,152. If the committee votes to approve the budget as proposed, that amount will fall to 28.5 cents per $100.

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The amount to be raised by taxes in 2013 will be $8,574,639.

The committee already approved the budget on first reading at their Feb. 28 meeting.

Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

In 2011 and 2012, the township kept local taxes flat, thanks in a large part to the same things that have allowed them to lower the tax levy in 2013: shared services, ratables within the township and consolidating positions.

The public will have the opportunity to comment on the budget before the committee votes.

The committee will also introduce an ordinance for acquiring open space in the town at the same time they vote on a separate law lowering the open space tax for the third straight year.

PSE&G

The committee will also discuss parking at Colony Pool for the upcoming summer season and for future years.

Colony Pool members were able to park in a gravel lot owned by PSE&G in former years, and the lot is also used as overflow parking for Chatham High School.

The lot was made unavailable during the utility's North Central Reliability Project, wherein they replaced the old utility towers with a monopole, a single pole resembling a cell tower. PSE&G employees assured township officials the parking lot would open again now that the project is nearly finished.

Recently, though, Mayor Nicole Hagner was informed that the boundaries around the new PSE&G monopoles was 150 ft., far greater than the 25 or 50 ft. originally estimated for safety.

Hagner said at the March 14 meeting PSE&G would let the township continue to use the lot only if the lot was completely paved to the utility's specifications, which are deemed too costly and exacting for the township to undertake.

The new limits also affect the Chatham Township gazebo and memorial park along Southern Boulevard. Memorial trees will have to be uprooted and the gazebo will have to be moved.

Other Business

Stop sign recommendations and the organizational structure of the Chatham Township Police Department are also up for discussion Thursday. The police department recently got after Chief John Paton's retirement. Hennelly has been a member of the Chatham Township Police Department since 1987.


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