Council Looks to Cut Taxes While Reinvesting in Community Services

The Montclair Council has taken steps to reinvest in township libraries, schooling and homeless services in 2013, all while decreasing the tax levy. 

The council’s Financial Committee unveiled a new commitment to funding services that have been reduced in recent years at a special budget meeting on Tuesday. The committee nixed more $180,000 in other areas to not only fund these local services, but reduce the municipal tax levy increase from 2.4 percent to 1.9 percent, according to township estimates. 

“This is good news; this is good stuff,” said Councilwoman Robin Schlager after hearing about the increased funding of community services. 

The committee — comprised of Mayor Robert Jackson, and Councilors William Hurlock and Renee Baskerville — adjusted the originally proposed 2013 budget to give the the Montclair Public Library its full budget request of $165,000, an increase from 2012. 

The Adult School of Montclair will also receive its full budget request of $160,000, and Montclair Emergency Services for the Homeless will receive $12,500. 

The largest jump in funding was given to the Montclair Community Pre-K. Instead of the original $62,500 the council budgeted for early education, the Community Pre-K will receive $192,500. 

The council's originally proposed 2.4 percent municipal tax increase in March will be whittled down to 1.9 percent, according to the committee’s estimates. This means the average home assessed at approximately $505,600 can expect to pay about $5,294.15 in municipal taxes, an increase of $73.42 from last year. 

With a reduction in the municipal tax levy and a $114 million school budget with no tax increase this year, the average resident can expect to pay out about $16,600 in taxes — which includes Essex County taxes. This will add up to an increase of about $130 from last year, or about .8 percent. 

But all these savings and reinvestments came at the cost of other department budgets. 

The Montclair Police Department will see a reduction of $49,000 that was originally planned for police accreditation and clothing expenses. The committee also took $25,000 from Planning Department’s budget, but those funds will be restored from the township’s cash capital fund, said Township Manager Marc Dashield. 

The committee found $75,000 from a reduction in health insurance premiums, and also reduced the Montclair Municipal Court and township attorney Ira Karasick’s budget by $13,000 and $19,395, respectively.

The council will now send the budget adjustments to the county for approval, and these amendments will be proposed and voted on during an upcoming council meeting.