16 June 2008 - Regular Meeting

Agenda at Meeting

(click here for the Agenda e-mailed to Council members - 1:33 pm, Friday, 13 June 2008)

(Mark's Comments / Annotations are in Red)

  1. CALL TO ORDER - PUBLIC MEETING STATEMENT (7:31 pm)

  2. PLEDGE - SILENT PRAYER

  3. ROLL CALL (Mayor North, Councilors Alloway, Fields, Waldron, Volkert,  Perno, Brunton present)

  4. PUBLIC

    MS. Gail Ford:

        1.    Was state aid restored?

    Mayor North: yes, about $273,000, but it has not been voted on by state legislature yet.

        2.    Will the state specify how much will go to the school?

    Mayor North: no determination has been made yet.

        3.    If state does not specify, will the Council transfer any to the school?

    Mayor North: No.

        4.    Is the surplus over $1 million?

    Administrator Fry: Yes, about $1.098 million. Mayor North: More like $200,000. [The actual surplus at the end of 2007 was approximately $1.2 million - MB]

    Mr. Paul Sohler

        1.    On the Spending Cap Ordinance, what is the increase amount?

    Mayor North: Don't know. It's 3 1/2%. We were advised to seek it - it acts as a buffer.

        2.    Not raising the limit [from 2 1/2%] mayhelp enforce fiscal discipline.

    Mayor North: Administrator Fry will be gone August 31. Council has done its best.

        3.    Is the budget available to the public?

    Mayor North: Yes.

    Mr. Tom Evaul

        1.    Is the budget more than last year's?

    Mayor North: Yes, by about 1 1/2%.

        2.    Will it show how much over in our tax bills?

    Mayor North: No.

        3.    Will the increase be used to purchase real estate?

    Mayor North: No.

        4.    Looking back at prior administrations, the borough does not have a good track record, and is not improving now.

     

  5. OLD BUSINESS (None)

  6. NEW BUSINESS

    1. ORDINANCE INTRODUCTION - EXCEED THE MUNICIPAL BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS LIMIT (O08-05. First reading. Approved 5-1, Mr. Brunton dissenting. Reason for Mr. Brunton's "NO" vote: Budget increase is less than maximum 2.5% increase allowed by state law. There is no reason to pass this ordinance. Not passing it will impose a small amount of fiscal discipline on the borough. Additionally, given the current state of the economy, large jumps in energy costs, etc., the borough should not be making it possible to impose even more financial burdens on residents at this time.)

    2. RESOLUTION - INTRODUCTION OF 2008 BUDGET (R08-75. Approved 5-1, Mr. Brunton dissenting. Reason for Mr. Brunton's "NO" vote: Despite Mayor North's assertions, the Council did NOT make any significant effort to reduce the budget. Mr. Brunton proposed over %50,000 in budget cuts, and all but $10,000 was summarily rejected. Mr. Brunton feels that Merchantville should have put in place a true budget CUT to offset the loss of state aid, as did many other small municipalities in New Jersey. Instead, Merchantville has increased its budget. This will place undue hardship on the residents to pay higher property tax bills. Click here to view the budget.)

  7. ANNOUNCEMENTS (A Speed bump meeting will immediately follow the Council meeting.)

  8. ADJOURNMENT (8:04 pm)

 

AGENDA IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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