Freeholders Introduce $140-Million 2009 Budget

CREST HAVEN — The heftiest hike in operating expenses in the county’s 2009 proposed $140-million budget is $404,000 to bolster dwindling reserves at the Board of Social Services.
The county budget, was introduced Tuesday, Feb. 10 at the 7 p.m. Freeholders’ Meeting in the county Administration Building here.
It will contain the first tax hike in 14 years, an equalized rate of 16.14 cents per $100 of assessed value, That is an average of $161.46 per $100,000 of assessed value. That rate may vary depending on the ratio of assessed value to true value in each of the county’s 16 municipalities.
A public hearing on the budget will be March 10 at 7 p.m. in the Freeholder Meeting room, 4 Moore Road.
Those interested may read the budget’s financial documentation at the Office of the Clerk of the Board at the above address or on the county Web site, capemaycountygov.net Beyel stated.
Freeholder Gerald Thornton, liaison to Human Services, thanked colleagues for making that $404,000 possible in the budget that allows zero hiring, except for public safety and health positions.
He said the addition funds were needed “To protect the citizens of the county in this rapidly declining economy and a rapid increase in the amount of services we have to provide.”
The county funds were needed because federal and state sources were shrinking to provide growing social service needs.
Freeholder Director Daniel Beyel, in his budget message, said that for the past decade, the county “witnessed substantial ratable growth including seven straight years of unprecedented double digit increases.
“Not only did this growth allow the county to cut or maintain a zero increase in the tax rate for 13 straight years, the revenues generated in property transfers kept the county tax levy modest as well as augmenting our surplus.”
Then, in 2008, the county experienced a drop in that incredible ratable growth to “less than 4 percent and property transfer fees were $4 million less than they were just three years before,” Beyel stated.
As the county made tax cuts in the past, Beyel stated, it assisted communities and strengthened the tourism economy with the municipal grant program as well as arts, cultural and history grant program.
For a number of years, “We instituted a self-imposed cap limiting the increase in our tax levy to the precise amount of new revenues. We kept our tax levy well below the state’s mandated cap,” Beyel said.
Department heads were asked to reduce their budgets by 10 to 15 percent, after having cut 10 percent in expenses last year.
Those concerted actions resulted in avoidance of layoffs, he said.
Additionally, every bargaining unit in the county, “without hesitation agreed to change the Health Benefit Program which immediately saved $1.8 million in addition to another $1.2 million in cost avoidance,” Beyel said.
He lauded the county’s largest union, AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), for its cooperation. Members agreed to benefit changed and concessions, which included holiday givebacks (day after Christmas and Lincoln’s Birthday).
There were also sick time restrictions to reduce overtime pay.
“They repeatedly demonstrated their desire to team up with management to find creative solutions to the difficulties facing future budgets,” Beyel continued.
This year’s budget compares the 2008 version of $136 million. Total operating expenses were reduced $26,000.
Beyel cited “total salary and wage increases were less than 4 percent representing a $1.7 million increase.”
Most departments either cut salaries through attrition or kept increases within the cost-of-living range with only a few exceptions in public safety.
Amount to be raised from taxes to support the budget will be $89 million, up from $83 million in 2008.
The amount of revenue other than property tax used to support the budget is $51 million.
The budget applies some $12.5 million in surplus of an available $24.2 million, leaving $11.7 in reserve for the 2010 budget.
Beyel said, “Our focus is immediately set on the 2010 budget. All indications suggest we will see a worse economy in the next year as well as perhaps the next two or three years,” Beyel said.
He pledged there would be “an absolute zero freeze on all new positions.”
“We will continue to make substantial cuts and institute a rigid attrition program that reduces the size of county government,” he added.
Next priority will be “investment in our infrastructure.” Beyel said the county earmarked over $600,000 in this year’s budget to secure $12 million to bond for facility improvements including bridge and road rehabilitation projects.
“We also anticipate seeing the county library system moving forward with new upgraded facilities,” he stated.
Within the next few weeks, Beyel said the county would formally be adopting a countywide energy master plan. Every county facility will be upgraded to the most practical method of reducing consumption and switching to cleaner energy sources.
Part of that, he said, included an “independent generating station to electrify the county complex.”
Vehicle purchases will continue to be, with few exceptions, hybrids.
“We will also be increasing our use of electric and bio-diesel fuel operated trucks and buses,” Beyel said.