By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
PLUMSTED – When residents go to the polls on Election Day, Nov. 8, in addition to voting for elected officials and on statewide ballot questions, they will also be asked to vote on a non-binding Plumsted Township referendum.
At a special meeting on Aug. 15, members of the Township Committee voted to place the following question on the ballot: “Shall the Township Committee … be authorized to increase its adjusted tax levy $343,217 more than the allowable adjusted tax levy, which is 17 percent more than the allowable adjusted tax levy as provided by state law, and shall it be authorized to increase to adopt the 2017 municipal purposes budget in excess of the increase limitation by 17 percent or $343,217 as provided by state law?”
According to the resolution, the additional funds will be used for police promotions; the hiring of two police officers; salaries and benefits to retain police officers; and a vehicle, weapons and equipment.
Mayor Jack Trotta said Police Chief Matthew Petrecca has asked the Township Committee to hire additional police officers and to promote some current officers to better serve residents. He said Petrecca and the PBA have advised municipal officials the police department has lost several officers due to the rate of pay in the current contract.
“There is no extra money in the budget to address these issues. The budget through the years has been cut to the bone, there is no fat,” Trotta said. “To address these issues, we need to raise taxes and spending beyond the legal limit of the law.
“Based on our form of government and budget year, this increase can only be approved by voters in April. There is a considerable cost of holding the special vote in April, up to $30,000 is the latest estimate I have seen.
“The non-binding referendum in November will allow us to judge voter sentiment to address these issues. If this question passes sufficiently in November, we will allocate the money to hold a special election in April 2017,” he said.
The decision of the voters in the April 2017 special election would be binding.
Trotta said that as noted in the interpretive statement that accompanies the non-binding question, the increased costs relating to the number of police officers, police promotions, officer retention and equipment the township would have to purchase with additional staff is $521,650.
The $343,217 noted in the non-binding question is the increase over and above the annual 2 percent increase in the local tax levy that officials are permitted to collect under state law, the mayor said.
“The average home in Plumsted is valued at $279,293, according to the latest numbers. The average homeowner would see an increase in their municipal taxes of about $211 a year to support this question,” he said.
“It is important to note that the state determines the wording of these types of questions. We have worded the non-binding question exactly as the state dictates the April question would have to be worded. We simply plug in the dollar and percentage information that is required. We have taken every consideration into account and projected the revenues and expenses of the town for 2017 so we could determine the information for the non-binding question,” Trotta said.
Municipal officials said a “yes” vote will authorize the committee to adopt a budget that provides for an increase in the tax levy over the allowable cap.
A “no” vote will mean that in order to provide the additional money for the police department, the governing body will have to amend the budget through appropriation reductions or allowable non-property tax revenue increases in order to adopt the budget within the tax levy and appropriation increase limits set forth by law.
In other business, during a special meeting on Aug. 11, committee members hired Bob Vosseller, a former reporter with the Asbury Park Press, to work as Plumsted’s part-time public information officer. The position was created in the spring. Vosseller will be paid $15.30 per hour and will serve at the pleasure of the governing body.
Trotta previously said the position is a necessary addition as part of municipal officials’ effort to communicate with the public. The public information officer will assist with the municipal website and eventually with a township Facebook page and Twitter account, the mayor said.
Trotta said the position could initially require about 20 hours of work per week as the new employee gets Plumsted’s social media accounts up and running. He said officials estimate the position will require between 10 and 12 hours per week after the initial start-up period.
