Vernon introduces budget with tax decrease

VERNON — Vernon Mayor Victor Marotta introduced the township's 2014 budget on Monday night, which calls for an average tax decrease of $22.95.

Marotta said he was proud to introduce a budget that "reduces property taxes for the third straight year."

For an average property valued at $219,359, the average tax to be collected is $1,250.

In 2013, the average $221,769 property paid $1,272.95 in taxes.

There will be a public hearing and vote on the budget $24,248,616 at the Township Council's April 14 meeting.

Marotta said he was pleased that the department heads, Business Administrator William Zuckerman, and Chief Financial Officer Elke Yetter have “bought into the concept that we can work with less. In 2014, we will demonstrate once again that we are doing that.”

Yetter presented various lists and charts that broke the budget down and explained it more thoroughly. This presentation was made available to residents after the meeting. While referring to a list of budget appropriations, Yetter noted that revenue from grants and shared services has increased 31.2 percent and 61 percent respectively. The revenue to be raised by taxation has decreased 2.3 percent to $15,135,306.

Yetter emphasized that revenue from the various grants received by the township, as well as any money from the Vernon Township Municipal Utility Authority (VTMUA) does not cost the taxpayers any extra money, but they do reap the benefits.

The Township Council also introduced ordinance was introduced to establish a cap bank of $479,026.

“The state has set a cap, or a limit, of the spending a municipality may make on items in order to keep the municipal taxes low. The cap bank, or reserve, allows that if a municipality does not spend all of the limit as allowed by law, it may bank, or reserve, that amount for future years.” Lynch said.

He explained that it was a two-year window.

The cap bank Ordinance also will be discussed at the budget public hearing on April 14 at the Municipal Building.