Monday, April 8, 2013
The council unanimously voted to approve the spending plan Monday.
The Chatham Borough Council unanimously approved the 2013 municipal budget during its Monday meeting. Under the spending plan, local taxes on the average Chatham Borough home assessed at $600,000 will rise $79 a year from $3,449 to $3,528 over the year. This includes the library tax and the fees for water, sewer and solid waste. The total budget allows for $13.6 million to run the borough for one full year. The overall tax levy for the borough is $7,540,389, an increase of 1.72 percent over the 2012 levy. The remainder of the funds will be provided by leases, parking fees, state aid and other municipal revenues. The borough passed with a unanimous 5-0 vote and without public comment or further discussion by the council. Councilman John …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
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. 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. In 2011 and 2012, the township kept local taxes flat, thanks in a large part to …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Chatham Township Committee will convene at 6:30 p.m. for Steven Hennelly's oath of office, then break for a reception for him.
Lt. Steven Hennelly of the Chatham Township Police Department will be formally sworn in Thursday for a position he has had for two weeks: that of Chief of Police in Chatham Township. The committee unanimously voted Hennelly as the new chief at their Thursday, Jan. 31 meeting, and he took over the duties of chief the next day. Hennelly replaces Chief John Paton, who retired as of Thursday after 34 years with the Chatham Township Police Department, including four years as chief. Hennelly has been a member of the Chatham Township Police Department since 1987. As lieutenant he has also served as the Public Information Officer. Budget Presentation The township budget presentation is listed on the agenda for Thursday's meeting as a possible …
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Final numbers are yet to be determined, councilman says.
Chatham Borough Councilman James Lonergan said borough residents could face a tax rate increase of between 1.5 and 2.5 percent. The borough has felt the pinch of several declines in revenue, Lonergan said, including a decline in the tax base, decline in state aid and a decline in the reserve for uncollected taxes. "We've tried to make up the difference," Lonergan said. Because the tax rate increase is limited by the state, that difference has usually been made up through user-based fees, such as water and sewer rates. The reserve for uncollected taxes has also helped fill the hole made by the economic decline. Now, Lonergan said, the borough has to replenish the funds. "This is one of the things the credit agencies look at when they give …
Borough Taxpayer
4:06 pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Based on the presentation on the Borough's website, I believe the article should properly read that the average increase for the year (on approx. $600,000 home) is about $79 or an increase for the year from about $3,449 to about $3,528. Of course, many will argue that it is "only" $79. Setting aside that many people's homes are valued in excess of $600,000, the size of the increase is not the … more ›