Belmar Budget Will Have No Tax Increase

Although they are still more than a month from adopting a 2011 municipal budget, Belmar officials reported that the budget will be the borough's first without a tax increase in 15 years.

The budget is set to be introduced on April 6 and should be adopted in May.

As municipalities throughout the state struggle to limit increases to 2 percent (under state law) while maintaining services, Mayor Matt Doherty highlighted two principles which allowed the borough to maintain a steady tax rate— attrition by way of not replacing high-paid employees and revenues realized due to increases in shared service agreements.

The news was met with applause from members of the public who attended the Wednesday, March 16 meeting of the Belmar Mayor and Council.

Doherty was quick to point out that there were no "gimmicks" in the budgeting process, noting the borough would add to its surplus and not rely on furloughs, layoffs, property sales or decreases in service to affect cost savings.

The borough will still see obligatory spending increases in some areas. Pension costs increased 22 percent this year, a $99,000 jump. Health-care costs increased 11 percent, up $3,000 from the previous year.

The borough will also pay a state mandated 15 percent increase in funding to the Belmar Public Library, at a cost of $62,000.

A number of cost-saving measures have been built into the budget including a 40 percent reduction in police overtime.

Belmar will also see shared service revenues increased by $80,000 this year. A police dispatching deal with Spring Lake Heights will net the borough $97,000.

While many cuts were made, the mayor explained that the savings do not come at the expense of the borough's financial future or services provided to residents.

"We are going to increase our surplus," Doherty said. "We're not raiding our surplus."

"Those services that are necessary," he says, "are included in there."

While a zero percent tax increase on the municipal side helps, residents' total tax bills also include a levy for schools, county expenses and fire districts.

"I think this is some good news for our community," Doherty said.