Mayor, council told to ease up on tax hikes, spending
BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK- The township's fiscal management has come under fire from residents as another municipal tax hike is expected this year.

Mayor William Neary took the criticism in stride during the Feb. 11 council meeting, but acknowledged during his recent State of the Township address that the municipal budget will see a significant increase this year. Township BusinessAdministrator James White said the budget would be introduced at the next council meeting, scheduled for Feb. 25.

One resident, Dean Bierman, who also sits on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, said at last week's council meeting that the township cannot take any more economic "mistakes." He said the Golden Triangle redevelopment project is "ever changing" and said Neary has yet to provide final cost of the community arts center being built at Heavenly Farms.

"How many more mistakes can we take?" Bierman asked.

Neary did not respond during the public portion, when the comments were made.

Another resident, Peter Grimando, said the township is under financial stress, and also questioned why the township continues to build the arts center facility without a known final cost, a point that Councilman David Stahl has made repeatedly. Grimando said it appears the township has no plan regarding how it will pay for the facility. He said he finds the situation with the facility to be "unacceptable," and urged Neary not to "deviate from reasonable fiscal practices."

Neary had announced at the same meeting, however, that the township will receive a $500,000 grant from the county to help fund the arts center construction, and money from a land sale on Dunhams Corner Road has also been earmarked for the project.

At another point in the meeting,White said he has received preliminary figures for the arts center, but that they are somewhat confusing and he was not yet comfortable bringing them to council. He said he wants to make sure the number he presents is "absolutely accurate."

Neary said the timeline for getting the numbers was slowed by construction on athletic fields at Heavenly Farms.

Bierman said after the meeting that when he moved to East Brunswick in the 1980s, he paid $4,000 in annual property taxes, but now pays close to $11,000. Property taxes also include school, county and open space taxes. The municipal portion increased by $150 for the owner of property assessed at $150,000 last year.

Another resident, Abraham Quartin, said he believes there is fat in the municipal budget. He noted that the mayor's assistant, Jacqueline Eaker, receives a salary of nearly $110,000, up from $104,000 last year, and he asked the governing body what she does for that salary.

"If you want to start cutting taxes, you need to start looking at salaries like that," Quartin said.

He said residents cannot afford the substantial increase that Neary alluded to in his recent speech. The township may have to think about scaling back services, Quartin said, noting garbage collection as an example.

Bierman said East Brunswick is largely made up of middle-class residents, and for them to pay $10,000 per year in property taxes is "unbelievable."