Tax-rate Increase in Stone Harbor

Stone Harbor budget plan calls for 1 cent tax-rate increase
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Published: Saturday, March 4, 2006
Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2006

STONE HARBOR — Borough Council will introduce its budget Tuesday with a tax-rate increase of 1 cent per $100 of assessed property value, borough officials said.

The increase means a person with a $1 million home will pay $100 more in local purpose taxes than last year.

Last year, the municipal tax rate increased more than 3½ cents per $100 of assessed value, after factoring in a recent revaluation. Last year's tax rate was about 18.6 cents per $100 of assessed value — or $1,860 in local purpose taxes for a person with a
$1 million home.

The $10.2 million 2006 budget will be introduced at a council meeting at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday , with public comment and final adoption slated for April. A line-item budget will be available early next week, officials said.

Stone Harbor holds budget presentations before they officially introduce their budgets. Mayor Suzanne Walters said this gives the public advance notice of their taxes.

“If there's an outcry, if people didn't like one thing or another, it's better to have it out there,” she said.

Among the spending increases this year is more than $80,000 for the volunteer fire department's budget.

Last year, Borough Council voted to pay volunteer firefighters stipends as much as $250 per month based on their participation at fire calls, drills, training and meetings. Borough officials said it was done to retain volunteers.

“There are a lot of things that got added in this year that were not in last year's budget,” Walters said. “Chief among them is the stipends we're now paying for the fire company. But it's still a lot less expensive for us doing that than to actually have a paid fire company.”

The borough also intends to use $819,000 of its $1.8 million surplus.

Also in Stone Harbor, Walters said road construction on 96th Street for the Gateway Project is ahead of schedule due to good weather. Borough officials have said they hoped to finish the project by Memorial Day and before summer vacationers arrive.

To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press: BIanieri@pressofac.com