Middle Levy Increase Must Not Exceed 2 Percent

To the Editor: 
On March 20, Middle Township introduced a 2017 budget with a 5.63 percent increase in the municipal tax burden. This budget vastly exceeds the current New Jersey 2 percent cap on municipal spending increases. It does so by robbing the taxpayers of savings we worked so hard to achieve in prior years; savings that the governing body promised never to touch, unless we encountered fiscal emergency. 
The reforms put in place when Governor Christie first took office prohibit municipalities from increasing spending more than 2 percent, year to year, with some exceptions. These measures were intended to be a needed brake on runaway spending.
In the 10 years prior to 2012, the levy in Middle increased, on average, 12.6 percent per year. I’m proud to say that for all five years that I’ve been on Township Committee, we have maintained the levy under the all-time high set in 2011.
The 5.63 percent proposed increase in the levy for 2017 is a 180-degree change in the philosophy that has served our taxpayers so well. That philosophy is simple. We must commit to spending the taxpayers’ dollars wisely and reluctantly. The proposed increase of over $693,000 is unacceptable. We must commit to keeping any necessary increase under the 2 percent cap.
Steps to reduce the budget increase:
1.    OE (Other Expenses) – are the operating costs of the township, not including salary and wages. An overall increase of 3.12 percent is proposed in OE. While certain departments, especially recreation, need a real boost in OE and increased costs for utilities and bulk purchases (like gasoline) are hard to control, we need to reduce this increase. By reducing the 3.12 percent OE increase to a reasonable 1.5 percent, we would save about $133,000.
2.    Salary and Wages – all three of our unions finalized new contracts in 2016. These contracts are fair and manageable, structured within the confines of the 2 percent cap. Our approach to our non-union employees should be just as sustainable.
The budget contemplates a 9.51 percent increase in total salary, wages and stipends for full-time, non-union employees. The budget also includes an increase in spending on part-time employees of $30,000. Increases for certain individual employees of over 26 percent in a single year are proposed.  By sensibly capping these raises and spreading the impact over a two to three year period, we could reduce the effect on this year’s budget by approximately $100,000.
These sensible and prudent spending restraints would reduce the 2017 tax burden by over $233,000. Along with some reasonable adjustments in the use of our surplus, anticipated revenues and contributions to our capital fund we can get to within striking distance of keeping our first levy increase in six years within the mandated 2 percent cap.
Both the mayor and deputy mayor have praised this budget, despite the fact that the increased spending is achieved by raiding the savings we put back into the taxpayers’ pockets in recent years.
I can’t praise or be comfortable with a budget that exceeds the legally mandated cap by over 180 percent (5.63 percent increase vs. a 2 percent increase). This approach is ill-advised and short-sighted.
I call on my fellow committee members to join me in doing the hard work to keep this budget within the 2 percent cap. I ask the taxpayers to let their voices be heard.  We must be accountable every day to the folks who have entrusted us to protect their interests and their wallets.
ED. NOTE: The author is a Middle Township Committee member.