Tax increase trimmed by 2 percent
By ROBERT LINNEHAN
The Cherry Hill Sun
10/4/2008

Mayor Bernie Platt sent the preliminary 2009 fiscal year budget to Council members at its last meeting. Since Council approved the preliminary tax levy in late May, it has cut about $500,000 from the proposed budget.

The $60 million budget had its preliminary tax rate set in late spring.

The tax rate was effectively increased by 22 percent, or 13.6 cents per every $100 of assessed property value. With the $500,000 cut, the tax rate will now likely be a 20 percent increase, Communications Director Dan Keashen said.

The tax bills sent to residents in July reflected the 22 percent increase passed in May. The next round of tax bills in January will reflect the 20 percent increase.

Platt said his administration and members of Council have worked hard since the tax rate was set to try to find ways to cut costs.

“Since January, we have worked hard to implement new money-saving initiatives. And tonight, I’m proud to announce, through a combination of cuts and savings, we have taken approximately half million dollars out of the budget,” he said at the meeting. “Moving forward, we will look for more ways to stretch every taxpayer dollar to the limit.”

Keashen said the township was able to cut the money through several cost-cutting measures. Among them, the most effective have been higher co-pays for employee health insurance, limiting cost-of-living increases, implementation of green programs and the redeployment of police resources.

Platt said he has stressed a need for cutting costs since January, when the state cut $1.1 million in municipal aid from the township and levied a

$1 million increase in state-mandated costs for the pension system and public library.

“This year, the township was assaulted by an economic perfect storm. We are the victim of a $1.1 million cut in state aid, a $1 million increase in state-mandated payments to the library and pension system,” Platt said.

“We have been affected by skyrocketing utility costs and increases in health-care premiums. But we have not sat idly by while Trenton has cut and run and this ongoing economic crisis has run amok.”

As for other long-term solutions, Keashen said the township hopes to utilize savings from several layoffs, shared services with other municipalities, consolidating departments and introducing premium sharing for employee health care.

Cherry Hill will also carry on its public budgetary meetings, allowing citizens to share ideas for cutting costs and raising revenue with Platt and officials to lower the municipal tax rate.

The third and final budgetary meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. at the town hall.

“Moving forward, we will look for more ways to stretch every taxpayer dollar to the limit. Be sure this not a finished product, and there still is work to do,” Platt said.

“Again, I look forward to working with Council to create the best finished product possible.”