Friday, May 17, 2013
The 2013 municipal budget is the first municipal tax levy increase in three years.
The 2013 municipal budget, which for the first time in three years has increased the municipal tax levy, represented by a .6 cent increase, was adopted on Monday evening. The operating budget totals $8,964,402, which is an increase of just under 1.5%. The rise will result in a tax rate of $.340 per $100 assessed valuation. The result to the average home, valued at $912,202, will be $54.55. The budget provides funding for: The 2013 appropriations are as follows: "We really want this passed," said Cecelia Donato of Ironia Road. "Thank you very much." The greatest allocation of the 2013 tax dollars will go to local schools (40.9%), then regional schools (25.8%), municipal purposes (18.7%), county (12.6%), municipal open space (1.2%) and …
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Sal Constantino shares a letter to the editor after voters pass the 2013 budget.
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Thursday, April 18
Editor's note: In the wake of Mendham Township voters approving the 2013 budget and electing three new members of the board of education, Mendham Township Superintendent Sal Constantino says thank you to the residents. April 18, 2013 To the Residents of Mendham Township, On behalf of the Board of Education, the Administration and our MTSD Family, I wanted to thank everyone who participated in Tuesday’s school budget vote. As a relative newcomer to the district and to Mendham Township, it was refreshing and heartening to see so many people turn out to exercise their democratic right to vote. In each opportunity I had to share the details of our 2013-2014 budget with the community, I encountered supportive, engaged citizens who value the …
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The 2013 budget will stay under the 2% cap.
For the first time in three years, the Mendham Township Committee has increased the municipal tax levy, represented by a .6 cent increase. The result to the average home, valued at $912,202, will be $54.55. Up until now the budget has been described as "tough" by members of the finance committee and township committee. Mayor Rick Merkt discussed the budget difficulty as one of the reasons exploring a merged Mendhams might make sense. And Merkt also said at the reorganization meeting that keeping "budget hawk" Frank Cioppettini working on the budget even after his term as committeeman had ended was important to the process. The 2013 municipal operating budget totals $8,964,402, which is an increase of just under 1.5%. The rise will result …
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
A referendum to potentially merge the Mendhams being generated from the Township.
One month ago, Mendham Township resident and current New Jersey Governor Chris Christie expressed his consternation about there being two Mendhams with duplicate administrations. Since then, officials in both Mendham Township and Mendham Borough have agreed to look at the situation closer. "We've been talking about the difficulties of putting a good budget together and talking about the need to share services, and in view of the township's need to explore every possible avenue for savings in these admittedly challenging times, it is appropriate to ask the township's residents whether or not they want the township committee to explore the possibility of a merger with Mendham Borough," said Mendham Township Mayor Rick Merkt. Merkt said he …
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Mendham Township K-8 budget 'delivers real value to the community.'
New Mendham Township Superintendent Sal Constantino presented the 2013-2014 school budget to the Mendham Township Committee on Monday night in a meeting rescheduled from March 26. The budget, puts forth zero tax levy increase for the third year in a row, but the average homeowner will be paying $28 more thanks to a loss of residential home value. Ratables decreased $5.5 million, according to new Superintendent Sal Constantino, who spoke at Monday evening's budget presentation, meaning the increase seen by the taxpayer is coming solely from the loss of residential ratables. The proposed 2013-14 budget has the same $13,895,226 tax levy of the past three school years. This year's budget will be calculated at a tax rate of $.7972 per $100 of …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Free mulch, fire wood and wood chips available.
Due to the massive volume of debris left by Hurricane Sandy, the Mendham Township Department of Public Works have begun early pickup of brush for the spring season. Originally scheduled to begin April 8, the DPW began collection on March 25. Residents who are interested in untreated mulch, wood chips and fire wood that hasn't been split can call the DPW at 973 543-4509 and request delivery. Delivery is free to residents of Mendham Township.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
$28 average bump per average household based on loss of ratables.
In a case of you can’t win for losing, the Mendham Township School District hammered out a zero tax levy increase for the third year in a row, but the average homeowner will be paying $28 more thanks to a loss of residential home value. “Ratables decreased 5.5 million dollars,” said Superintendent Sal Constantino at Thursday's budget presentation. “So in the increase seen by the taxpayer is coming solely from the loss of residential ratables.” The proposed 2013-14 budget has the same $13,895,226 tax levy of the past three school years. This year’s budget will be calculated at a tax rate of $.7972 per $100 of assessment or $797 per $100,000. The ratable loss drops the average home value from $914,361 to $912,203. The third year in a row …
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Mendham Borough officials refuse to pay Mendham Township $2100 to use beach for the summer day camp.
At the March 4 meeting of the Mendham Borough Mayor and Council, Councilman Lou Garubo asked to hold off on his report on the Mendham Day Camp until he had time to calm down. At the March 18 meeting, he explained why. “Mendham Township wants to charge us $2100 for the use of the Brookside Beach for the Day Camp program,” Garubo said. “There was no discussion. No room for negotiation.” According to Garubo, there was never a cost associated with the use of the beach before. “We used to make a donation,” Garubo said. “To offset the cost of the lifeguards.” Garubo said his committee, which includes recreation director Bruce DiBisceglie, Ned Panfile, Amy Johanson, Kevin Lanahan, Jason Fowler, Christine Glassner, Rick Valacchi and Brett Riamondo…
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
The Mendhams' inaugural CERT team of volunteers are now prepared to assist in the next disaster.
The Mendhams' first-ever Citizens Emergency Response Team was honored at Monday evening's township committee meeting. Each of the 15 CERT members completed a 20-hour course and is now certified to help out during disasters. "They're now certified and covered by insurance to help out on our next disaster. It's a nation-wide thing, and I'm very proud to be a part of this. I'm very happy that residents stepped up and are going to help on the next one," Mendham Township Emergency Management Coordinator Evan "Buzzy" Thomas said, "And for years to come." Thomas, who also took the course and is a CERT member, said that there will be another class for the Chesters shortly. "There's been a lot of cooperation since the last storm, and this is only …
Monday, January 28, 2013
Utility 'roundly criticized,' according to Mendham Township Mayor Rick Merkt.
Less than a month into his term as Mendham Township’s mayor and Rick Merkt has already faced down Jersey Central Power and Light. At the last meeting of the Mendham Township Committee, Merkt said he took part in a meeting of the mayors of Morris County and the Board of Public Utilities. “To be candid, JCP&L was roundly criticized,” Merkt said. “However and perhaps more importantly, the meeting did result in a number of ideas from the mayors.” Much of the criticism stemmed from the utilities response to Hurricane Sandy and the poor communication surrounding their repair efforts. This meeting, according to Merkt, was to generate ideas on how to avoid missteps in the future. According to Merkt some of those ideas included detailed circuit …
Just Saying...
9:29 pm on Thursday, April 4, 2013
Here's the link to the Township's Website and the Debt Service: http://www.mendhamtownship.org/documents/Budget/Mendham%20Township%20Debt%20Summary%204%2010%2012.pdf If "largely" means over 50% then then the previous assertion by a former committee member is incorrect, according to this document. Open space accounts for a bit less than 1/3. General capital comprises most of the debt service. … more ›