Residents' Municipal Taxes Could Increase Nearly $100

The average homeowner’s municipal taxes would increase $99.68 if the council approves the proposed $49.4 million tax levy as currently constituted.

The council introduced the budget at Wednesday’s public meeting.

“The budget is in compliance with all state-mandated caps, including the new 2 percent cap and every mandate that is put on us by the state of New Jersey,” said Mayor Chris Vergano at the meeting. Governor Chris Christie earlier this year limiting property tax increases to 2 percent.

The average homeowner’s municipal tax bill increased by $99.65 in 2010. The assessed value of the average home in Wayne is almost $229,500.

The township’s pension payment will increase by more than $841,000 this year; the township, unlike the county, did not defer on paying into the pension system last year.

Township employees’ salaries are down by almost $233,000. Insurance costs are increasing 19 percent from last year to more than $1.7 million.

The budget also included $700,000 in tax appeals.

Nadine Bello, a member of the council’s budget committee, said that the township has direct control of 22 percent of residents’ tax bills.

Councilman Al Sadowski said at the meeting that the township should get “benchmark” numbers to compare Wayne to local municipalities of similar size and population in regards to the municipality’s “revenue, total debt, and debt service.”

Councilman Joseph Scuralli said that the budget at Wednesday's meeting is "just an introduction” and that the budget “will be worked on over a period of weeks” before it is finalized.

Department heads will meet with the council and township Administrator Neal Bellet at a public meeting April 27 at 7 p.m. to discuss their individual budgets.