Township Committee Adopts Amended Municipal Budget

The Cranford Township Committee voted to adopt the amended municipal budget at their meeting Tuesday night. The resolution passed with a 3-1 margin, with Commissioner Mark Dugan acting as the dissenting vote. Commissioner David Robinson was absent from the meeting.

The amendments were approved by a 3-2 vote at the Township Committee meeting on June 14th. The decision was reached after a lengthy budget season riddled with fiscal obstacles. In addition to meeting the state-mandated two percent cap, the township was faced with a severe deficit and burdened with a great number tax appeals and legal fees. The Committee also struggled with the decision to put the sewer fee on a separate bill, which prevented significant municipal employee lay offs.

The approved budget contains a 1.95 percent tax levy increase, which Mayor Dan Aschenbach considered a, “positive.” The budget was reached through a number of sacrifices, including the termination of 17 positions within the township. Another large savings came by merging the township’s Emergency Medical Services with the Cranford Fire Department, a move that could potentially net over $200,000 in savings. Most recently, and controversially, the Township Committee approved the construction of 21 additional units at the Riverfront Redevelopment Project. In return, developer Garden Homes would provide the township $756,000 in sewer and impact fees. The funds will be placed in a capital reserve and will be put towards lowering the tax rate and necessary township improvements.

One of the most crucial aspects of the current budget is that it does not reduce public safety, an issue Aschenbach considers to be of the upmost importance.

“You can’t go too far without starting to affect what we’re about in Cranford,” he said. “We have done everything we could to ensure our township remains the safest we can…I think that’s an area the township still needs to focus on, and we are looking at ways to bolster that further.”

Aschenbach stated that the Committee would closely examine township programs in the coming year in order to find other potential cuts. He stressed that while further items would be eliminated, essential township services would remain in tact.

“There are some things that we may not be able to continue to do in the future,” he said. “We’re going to get started on looking at this, because next year the two percent cap is back. Locally, I still believe people want to make sure that services are not compromised.”

Deputy Mayor Kevin Campbell called the budget process, “long and arduous,” but believed the final product delivered the type of services Cranford residents have grown to expect.

“There’s no such thing as a perfect budget,” he said. “It’s a matter where there’s a whole bunch of competing interests at work and they’re all valid interests. You try and do the best you can, and try to provide the people with the most amount of services for the least amount of money.”

Aschenbach thanked Township Administrator Marlena A. Schmid and Township Attorney Daniel McCarthy for their hard work ensuring the budget was completed on schedule. He also thanked the Township Committee who, despite their disagreements, diligently worked together to craft the document.

“This is great news tonight,” he said. “All in all, the whole Township Committee, regardless of how they voted, worked hard to try to bring a budget that is respectful to difficult times, but also recognizes the great community and makes sure we keep the services.”