Hornik: State Aid Formula Unfair to Marlboro

This article was updated as of 4:30 p.m. on Monday to reflect the statements of Mayor Jon Hornik.

Marlboro Township is receiving $2,268,949 from the state for its 2013 budget, according to numbers released from Trenton last week.

"The state aid number that we were expecting was the state aid that the governor delivered," Marlboro Business Administrator Jon Capp said.

Last year, the Marlboro adopted a $32.6 million budget. The township will introduce its budget to the public on March 14.

But Mayor Jon Hornik said compared to surrounding townships, Marlboro's percentage of aid is one of the lowest.

"I think that the formula is unfair and somebody would have to ask the Governor why Marlboro is receiving less than surrounding towns," Hornik said. "It puts a burden on the Marlboro taxpayers by not giving us the equivalent of what the other towns are getting."

Neighboring townships Colts Neck and Holmdel received $1,980,938  and $1,990,433 respectively.

But Marlboro population is nearly triple that of Colts Neck and double of Holmdel, according to the most recent census numbers. 

"The state almost penalizes Marlboro residents by not giving them the same percentage as other towns," Hornik said. "We hope for the best, we plan for the worst. We're doing everything we can to keep spending low and looking for alternatives for our tax base, including commercial ratables."

According to Gov. Chris Christie, no Monmouth County township will see a decrease in funding this year.

“Together with bipartisan reforms such as the 2 percent property tax cap, pension and health benefits changes, and a 2 percent cap on interest arbitration awards, we are delivering real relief to property taxpayers in New Jersey as evidenced by two consecutive years of the smallest property tax increases in two decades," Christie said in a news release.