Buoyed By Sandy Relief, Brick Budget With Slight Tax Hike Passes

Brick Township's municipal budget unanimously passed muster with the township council Tuesday night after being stalled last month because Sandy relief funds were not ready to be distributed.

The township received the $3.75 million in Sandy funding it requested. The local relief funding was aimed at helping the township bridge the gap between its financial obligations and the revenue lost due to portions of the tax base being wiped out in the storm.

The $97.3 million budget for 2014 is $3.4 million less than the 2013 budget, which was $100.7 million. But the tax levy to support the spending plan was up slightly, to $67,911,538, about $4,000 under the state's 2 percent cap on tax hikes. The 2.6 cent increase per $100 of assessed real estate valuation means a Brick residents who owns a $258,000 home – the township's average – will see a $67 increase in their municipal taxes.

Earlier this year, the Brick Township Board of Education passed its budget which kept the same tax rate as 2013.

Still, Mayor John Ducey said the overall reduced budget saves money while maintaining township services for residents. The budget includes $4 million in Sandy recovery costs, coupled with a $2.1 million loss in ratables.

"Technically, we started with a 6.1 cent raise" in taxes, said Ducey.

The mayor said his administration eliminated three deputy director positions which saved $500,000 in salary and benefits costs and put into place a program to reduce overtime costs with special police officers assuming some duties regular officers being paid overtime used to perform.

The budget also allows the township to maintain $7 million in surplus funding "for a rainy day," which had been depleted to just $48,000 in 2007, Ducey said.

Also included in the budget is $12 million worth of debt service payments. Ducey said his administration is putting a debt reduction plan into place to shave $6.5 million in debt off the township's rolls over the next four years.

"We’re still going to build parks and upgrade equipment, but we’re going to cut back on all those lavish projects like Traders Cove," he said.