Township Council Approves 2012 Municipal Budget in Split Vote

Homeowners here will see a small rise in their municipal taxes this year, after the Township Council adopted the $40,266,566 2012 budget in a split vote.

The vote was taken after council members approved a budget amendment that increased the amount to be raised by taxation by $864,000. That will translate into a roughly two cent increase in the municipal purposes tax rate, Township Administrator Frederick Ebenau said.

The increase is due to a drop in the reserve for uncollected taxes, deferred charges and a record number of tax appeals, he said at the Township Council meeting tonight.

Township Councilman Thomas Grosse abstained on the vote. Grosse, who was elected in 2011, said he had to keep his campaign pledge not to raise taxes.

"I feel the mayor and the business administrator did the best with what they had," Grosse said. "But I made a promise I would not vote to raise taxes. I have to abstain."

Councilwoman Fran Siddons cast the lone no vote. Siddons also said she had to keep a campaign pledge.

"Based on my principals, because of what I ran on, I have to vote no on this budget," she said.

Township officials had said earlier this year there would be no increase in the amount to be raised by taxation. The hike in the tax rate means residents with homes assessed at the township average of $202,000 would pay an extra $40 per year in municipal taxes, Ebenau said.

Come back to Berkeley Patch Wednesday for the complete story.