TOMS RIVER – Mayor Daniel Rodrick said his first budget in office will have no tax increase, but residents and officials are questioning it.
The township collects taxes for the county, school district, and other taxing entities. This article just entails the municipal tax rate.
The budget boasts a 0% tax increase without gimmicks, Rodrick said. Prior administrations used one-time fixes such as federal funds that weren’t available for future years.
He said that the budget was balanced by “reducing unnecessary positions and (unnecessary) spending.”
The budget was read by title only at the most recent Township Council meeting.
The next regular meeting of the council will have the full budget presentation, he said.
May 22 at 7 p.m. is currently the next meeting date, however, the council has had a few special meetings this year.
The governing body is all Republican, but Councilmen David Ciccozzi and James Quinlisk are from a different club than the others. They didn’t vote in favor of the budget resolution. They have been critical that the budget committee of the council hasn’t had meetings.
“We haven’t seen the budget,” Quinlisk said. “The seven members (of the council) are voting on something they haven’t seen.”
Rodrick and other council members countered that this was the reading of the budget in name only and that more information will be coming up at the budget presentation.
Residents have said that Councilman George Lobman should abstain from voting on the budget since his house is on the market. Lobman was appointed to fill Rodrick’s spot on the council. Lobman is not running for office to keep the spot.
Lobman said that he has lived here since 1973, and has served the township in a number of ways. It’s his prerogative to sell his property and this doesn’t change his service to the town. As long as he pays taxes in this town, he has a vested interest in Toms River.
Chief Financial Officer
During the meeting, the Council majority voted to make Business Administrator Jonathan Salonis the temporary chief financial officer.
Rodrick said the town is going to hire a CFO but they need someone to sign off on things right now. “It’s a formality until we hire someone.”
Councilman Quinlisk was concerned that there was no ending date in the resolution appointing Salonis. He also voiced worry that Salonis is already wearing a number of hats since so many other administrative staff have been fired or quit.
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