County Ratables Dip $2.1 Billion; Tax Levy to Increase Slightly

CREST HAVEN – “This year was completely unique. There were a lot of challenges. We worked hard to get to numbers that we present today,” said Francine Springer, Cape May County chief financial officer. She spoke at a Jan. 17 public budget deliberation session.
Part of the stress: County ratables (total of real property) experienced a 4.3 percent drop to $47.2 billion, the fourth straight year of decline.
When all the adding machine tape was cleared away, that translated into a proposed county tax rate that will increase just under two cents per $100 of assessed value to 20.4 cents per $100 of assessed value. That will add about $5.6 million to support the $138.3-million spending plan. That amount compares with the 2012 budget of $139.1-million, a decline of $796,241, due to going into a self insurance fund.
A factor in keeping the levy hike to a minimum was use of $10 million, or about 53 percent of the available surplus of $18.9 million. In the past, the board tried to use 50 percent or less of that surplus, the equivalent of a savings account.
Still, with shrinkage in ratables upon which to base the tax levy, the rate had to increase to make up the difference, noted Edmund Grant, director of operations.
The tentative budget was approved for introduction at the Jan. 22 freeholder meeting at 4:30 p.m. by three freeholders, Director Gerald Thornton, Kristine Gabor and Will Morey at the end of a 45 minute public deliberation.
No input was taken from the public, although there were many department heads in the freeholder meeting room at the session. The budget figures were explained by Springer, Barbara Bakley-Marino, Human Resources and Training director, and Purchasing Agency Kim Allen, for the capital budget.
Austerity was the apparent byword of this year’s “bare bones” budget. At one point, Bakley-Marino joked if someone were to ask her for $50,000 for a new position, she would “have to look under the mattress” for it.
“If you have $50,000 under the mattress,” joked Thornton,
“I said I would go look, not find it,” she replied as laughter erupted.
Still, it was no laughing matter when the board looked at the tally of county employees, 993. Broken down, that’s 948 full-time budgeted positions and 45 seasonal and temporary positions.
If state and federal grant funding dries up throughout the year, “there are probably 10-15 people that are going to be affected, 10 or 15 folks,” said Bakley-Marino.
“One immediately,” said Thornton. Yes, acknowledged Bakley-Marino, one was given a layoff notice Jan. 14.
While those numbers may seem flush, Thornton said workers at the county Social Services Department in Rio Grande have handled an increased workload, as the economy deteriorates. More first-timers are seeking economic aid, and that puts an increased burden on the same staff.
Other departments have seen employees retire and not be replaced, adding to the workload of those remaining.
The only department adding personnel was the Prosecutor’s Office, which added one investigator. Other departments replaced personnel, but remained at level numbers.
Even more troubling to Thornton was the prospect of losing federal and state grants that feed and otherwise assist senior citizens, who often have no other place to get assistance.
“They (funds) could be reduced significantly,” Thornton told the board. “Would you say it is safe for a year or so?” he asked.
“Six months,” replied Patricia Devaney, human services director.
“There will be a major crisis with this board making decisions of what we fund and who we protect with our Peer Grouping money. We use $480,000,” said Thornton.
“That is strictly for the elderly, to protect the elderly and nutrition and socialization, meals on wheels. It keeps them from going into long-term care. That could be devastating to us,” he added.
“There are things essential for survival,” said Gabor, who oversees that human services section.
A bright spot in the revenue picture was the county clerk’s office, which fattened the county coffers by nearly $4.7 million. That represented an increase of 18 percent over 2011’s $3.9 million. Regardless of the smiles on freeholders’ faces, the 2012 tally fell far short of the 2005 figure when the clerk’s office, riding the wave of real estate wealth, took in $9.9 million.
As with any investor, the county has seen its income from investments shrink to a total of $97,562, up 13 percent over the prior year, but still a mere shadow of the total revenue from investments in 2007 of $2.7 million.
It is possible that figures contained in the proposed budget introduced Jan. 22 will not be the same as those in the adopted budget which will go before the board Feb. 26 at 4:30 p.m. in the freeholders meeting room, 4 Moore Road. That may due to possible changes in state or federal grants.