Upper Adopts 2016 Budget; Considers Potential Museum Site

PETERSBURG – Upper Township Committee held its regular meeting April 25 and all members expressed their sadness and deep condolences for the line-of-duty death of Upper Township Division of EMS member Mort Schmerling, who collapsed at the scene of a medical emergency in Seaville April 13 and succumbed April 23. 
2016 Municipal Budget
Committee considered a number of items related to passing the 2016 municipal budget including a public hearing, which it eventually did unanimously. Leon Costello, Township auditor, gave an overview of the numbers noting that “this was a great team effort and the Township held five budget workshops open to the public. This year Upper also is able to do a self-exam for its budget under state law which self-exam is available every two out of three years to municipalities. However, 55 percent of New Jersey municipalities can’t meet the threshold for budget health to participate, so this is a sign that our budget is in good shape.”
Committee member John Coggins added that “we all worked extremely hard on this year’s budget. We sent back to each department head, on many occasions, questions and revisions regarding their numbers and we’re very pleased with the outcome.”
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Ted Kingston, a Strathmere resident queried Committee about the rate of increase noting, “I am not asking you to do anything that I don’t do which is try to be frugal. I need to pay my own health insurance for example, which is going up and then need to pay, as well, the health insurance for the Township and the school board. But my revenues as a private sector person are not going up. We’re all at the breaking point.”
Costello replied that the actual tax levy increase is very small and that the amount raised as paid by taxpayers will be modest given that the bulk of the Township’s budget, $9 million out of a total $12 million budget, comes from the “energy receipt tax” related to the operation of the B.L. England plant in Beesley’s Point. 
Committee member Hobie Young added, “We are spending on Rec Services, for example, less than 10 years ago but we can’t run on zero. We instituted a policy where parents are paying $50 to $125 for their children to participate in sports programs so no financial burden falls on Township residents who don’t have children playing sports.” Strawn rejoined, “I don’t think any of these programs are wasteful; the question really is can we afford them?”
Greenfield resident Kevin Grubb asked about the comparison of health costs over the last eight years and any related savings. Mayor Richard Palombo said numbers would be provided after appropriate research. “We really tried to save money over the last few years on health plans and now some of those past savings are catching up with us. Still, we have a 5 percent increase for this year which is really small compared to private sector businesses and other New Jersey municipalities,” he added.
Eco-Friendly Resolution Passed
Committee passed a resolution which encourages the use of reusable, cloth-type shopping bags instead of single-use plastic bags. Committee also approved a resolution which opposes Assembly Bill A-2281, the “Smart Container Act,” which provides for deposits of all bottles sold in New Jersey.
“Our Green Team will be very happy with the resolution promoting the cloth bags vs. plastic bags. On the Assembly bill, we believe it places an undue financial burden on individuals who would be required to pay a deposit for every single bottle they purchase, including bottles of water. We have a very effective and high participation rate for the Township’s recycling program, we do a great job in Upper with recycling, so we believe this bill is unnecessary,” said Palombo.
Historical Society Seeks Home of its Own
Under “New Business,” Committee considered a request by Upper Township Historical Society to potentially use a Township-owned building for a new museum. A potential site that could be earmarked for the museum is Township’s old City Hall on Mt. Pleasant – Tuckahoe Road.
“It’s time we had our own museum, we need a repository for items related to Upper Township. Many other municipalities have their own museums and the County has a very nice one. Let’s look into whether the building can be appropriately rehabbed and whether there are grant monies to allow us to move forward,” said Committee member Jeffrey Pearson.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.