Neary: Municipal tax hike looming in 2008 Mayor talks taxes, parks, redevelopment in state of town speech BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer EAST BRUNSWICK - Property taxes top Mayor WilliamNeary's list of challenges in front of the governing body in 2008. In fact, he said during his recent State of the Township address, municipal taxes will likely see a "significant" increase this year, though Neary did not specify how much that would be. Neary said his administration goes over every line item in the budget each year tomake sure that the expenditures are necessary, and that he rejectsmany proposals fromdepartment heads to savemoney. Still, he said, the rising cost of operations is fixed, and the state has not helped. "I have spent the last 12 years eliminatingwaste, there is no abuse, and fraud is nonexistent," Neary said of the municipal budget. The township absorbed a 15-cent increase in the municipal tax rate in 2007, though the $62 million budget grewby just 3.5 percent fromthe prior year. For a home assessed at $150,000, the 15 cents means paying an extra $150. East Brunswick received only $200,000 in state extraordinary aid for that year, though it had requested $800,000 to defray the tax increase. Despite the talk of another tax increase, Neary peppered his speechwith references to positive endeavors and accomplishments. He defended the proposed redevelopment of the area known as the Golden Triangle, on Route 18, an issue that has drawn criticismover the past several years. Faced with a slow housingmarket, the redeveloper, Toll Brothers, has asked that it be allowed to delay construction, Neary said. But he noted that the sale has brought millions of dollars in revenue into East Brunswick's coffers, and all of it is being used to defray property taxes. Neary also took time to address the concern that the multiuse development will not be built for several years, and that Toll Brothers' payments to the town, totaling more than $30 million but being paid in annual increments, will run out before the new buildings are up and paying taxes. "We all share the frustrations of schedule changes and amendments," he said, adding that such a large project is bound to have hurdles. "We can't assume that any deviationwillmean the project is in trouble," he said, adding that redevelopment projects throughout the state have been stalled due to the sluggish housing market. He said the town is fortunate that the plan remains intact, and that the redeveloper has not backed out of the plan. Neary acknowledged that the construction delaymeans there will be a gap between when payments end and the new tax revenue begins. "Although this is a disappointment, it does not mean we are sitting back," he said. "We areworking very hard to meet our revenue needs for 2011." Neary said the redevelopment project is only part of the struggle to combat property taxes. Another is increasing ratables in other sections of the township. He said the redevelopment of a new shopping center on Route 18 where the formerMeyer's plaza stood is still in theworks, having been approved by the Planning Board. In fact, in recent months "steps have been taken which lead us to believe that construction will commence soon. I amcautiously optimistic," he said. Neary said progress has beenmade in developing recreational uses at Heavenly Farms, the township's newest and biggest park, and now its most widely used. He also said the community arts center being built and will hopefully be complete by this fall.He did indicated the final cost of that facility, an unknown sumthat has been the subject of questioning in recent months. Neary also noted the improvements done in other parts of the township, such as Volunteer Park, located at themunicipal complex, and Pine Ridge Park, off Edgeboro Road. Neary also made mention of the purchase, made with county funding, of the land where the Tamarack Hollow housing development was to be built. The developer, Matzel & Mumford, had fought in the township and in court to win approval for the development, but ultimately agreed to sell the land to the township after the housing market slowed.