Council Cuts Bridgewater Township’s Budget Increase

At a special working session that started at 7:30 p.m. and lasted two hours, the Bridgewater Township Council agreed to reduce the increase in the proposed 2008 budget by approximately $192,000. These reductions will have to be approved at a June 5th meeting, and presented to the community on June 16th at a public hearing.

My impression after sitting through this meeting, which included Bridgewater’s mayor, Patricia Flannery, and Township Administrator, James Naples, is the stark contrast between this year’s state funding for the Township, compared to that given to the Bridgewater-Raritan School District.

The Corzine administration cut state funding to Bridgewater Township by about $550,000, while simultaneously giving the Bridgewater-Raritan School District a last minute windfall of $2,400,000, for a total of $12.1 million in state aid, resulting in a 24.9% increase over the prior year. Fortunately for Bridgewater and Raritan residents, the school board decided to return $1.5 million to the taxpayers to dampen the increase in the school tax.

Nonetheless, the school board still presented a voter-approved budget that went up by $4.9 million, a 4% increase, well over the rate of inflation, and at the maximum increase allowed by the state. Meanwhile, the township increased its budget by a smaller 2.5%.

I won’t complain about state aid to our school district, because we’ve been short-changed for years and need far more $ from Trenton. And I’m not saying that the township still can’t find opportunities for further budget reductions. But there is something absolutely bizarre when the Municipality of Bridgewater has to swallow a $550,000 reduction in state aid, while the Bridgewater-Raritan School District gets $12 million and enjoys a percentage increase to its budget that is 60% higher than that of the Township.

Think about the implications of those lop-sided numbers on the fiscal health of Bridgewater. There may be two separate legal entities in this township, but there is only one group of taxpayers footing the bill for both.

Note: The Bridgewater Township Council consists of five elected officials. They are Robert Albano, Michael Hsing, Matthew Moench, Howard Norgalis, and Patrick Scaglione. Mr. Norgalis currently serves as Council President. Linda Doyle is the Township Municipal Clerk and sits in on all Council meetings.