Vernon passes $25.3M budget

VERNON — The Vernon Township Council passed on Monday a $25.3 million budget for 2018.
Councilwoman Sandra Ooms posted the only vote against the budget.
The total municipal budget for 2018 is $25,338,858, an increase of more than $800,000 over last years $24.52 million budget. But, this is still significantly less than the original proposed 2017 budget of $27.8 million, which was voted down last year.
The tax levy comes in at $16,882,134, an increase of more than $600,000 over last years’ tax burden of $16.24 million.
The municipal tax rate ticked up 3 cents, from $0.62 per $100 of assessed home value to $0.65 per $100.
With the average residential home in Vernon assessed at a value of $214,160, the proposed 2018 annual municipal tax on the average home is $1,392.
The municipal portion of the budget is one of three components that will determine the entire property tax burden on residents (the other two portions being the school and county taxes).
Mayor Harry Shortway blamed the tax increase, in part, on the previous administration.
“The former administration began to excessively draw down the fund balance to stabilize the budget in its zeal not to raise taxes,” Shortway had stated at a prior meeting. From 2013-2015, the fund balance decreased by $1,238,529. In 2017, the fund balance increased by $239,942.
Other factors include the repair and maintenance of township assets, most notably the municipal building on Church Street. Bringing sewer to the building will cost $137,075. The Municipal building also needs a new roof, which will cost $227,075, and the fire suppression and water systems need to be fixed at a cost of $100,000.
“I’ve never seen anything like it, people were covering up their computers every time it rained,” Shortway said about the roof. And about the water system in the municipal building, Shortway said, “The water pressure is so bad in this building, that if there is active water use on this end, you can’t flush the toilets on that end.”
The water improvements are part of Shortway’s Phase-2 improvement plan and should be completed by the end of April.
Also adding to the tax burden in the need for a high reserve for unpaid taxes, which amounts to $2,551,876, or roughly 10 percent of the budget.
“Legends is a major part of this, but it’s throughout the township,” Shortway said.
The township has moved to foreclose on 125 properties with tax liens in the municipality. Vernon residents paid an additional $595,000 (approximate) to the Vernon Board of Education and Sussex County as a result of unpaid taxes last year.
The township is scheduled to hold a public auction of 95 properties on April 18th at 1:00 PM, at the Municipal Building.
In addition, Vernon township hired three new full-time and one part-time employee in the last year, for a total of 117 employees.
Despite the increases and expenditures, Vernon township remains the lowest taxed municipality, with its own police force, in Sussex County.