The Alternative Press

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ – The owner of a home assessed at the borough average could see a $60 municipal tax hike this year, the Borough Council was told Monday.

Council President Michael Gennaro outlined the 2012 municipal budget, which is projected to be $16.8 million, a 1.26 percent increase over 2011, he said.

Gennaro said the proposed tax levy is up $82,000 over 2011, and combined with slightly higher property values in the borough, combined to generate an estimated $60 tax increase for the owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $282,000.

The budget is well below the state mandated budget caps, Gennaro said.

Key changes in the budget are a reduction of one full-time staff position, for a reduction of $60,000; the decision not to fill an opening in the public works department, a reduction of $96,000; a reduction of $25,000 in the cost of garbage disposal at the Union County facility; a education in the borough’s pension contribution of $101,000; and a reduction in electricity costs of approximately $60,000 after the borough participated in an online power auction.

Borough administrator Douglas Marvin said the auction covers two years, so the cost savings will also be in the 2013 budget.

Councilman James Cucco said this year borough employees will be contributing to the cost of their health benefits, reducing the cost to the borough.

Councilman Robert Robinson asked why the finance committee did not aim for no tax hike.

Gennaro said that producing a budget with a flat tax rate from year to year just pushed to another year the cost of paying for services.  He said the council feels it is better to produce budgets with small, predictable yearly increases, and avoid big changes in a single year.

The budget will be formally introduced at the Feb. 27 meeting.

Meanwhile, an expected protest about some recent revelations involving Mayor J. Brooke Hern never took hold. While about 40 residents attended Monday’s council meeting, just two made comments during the public portion of the meeting.

Issues regarding Hern’s divorce and finances surfaced in late January following an incident at a local gas station. TheAlternativePress.com was the first to report on the full story.

Hern last week sent an email to residents explaining his side of the issues. Marla Carleen used that email as the reason she could discuss the issues at a council meeting.

Hern had introduced the public portion of the meeting with the usual statement that the public was invited to discuss matters before the council.

“You said in that email that you would not let the problem divert your attention from town business. You said it four times. This is the opportunity for public discussion,” she said.

Carleen said that Hern’s email was inaccurate.

In it, she said, Hern said his former wife was responsible for the mortgage payments, but papers filed with Hern’s bankruptcy said that Hern was solely responsible for the family finances.

Hern tried to deflect the discussion, saying that Carleen’s point was not actually council business.

But Carleen cited the state’s Open Public Meeting Act, which says that issues that can be seen to impact the performance of a town council can be considered for discussion in a public meeting.

“You raised these serious issues,” Carleen said. “You opened the door to public discussion.”

“I’m not going to respond,” Hern said.

Ed Cadmus then spoke.

“I’m a third generation and lifelong resident,” Cadmus said. “You are an embarrassment to me, the town and the state. And I ask you to resign.”

The remark drew applause from a few members of the audience.

Both Cadmus and Al Morgan, the former mayor who challenged Hern with these issues in January, said they were not behind an effort listed at the Internet site iPetition.com to post a petition seeking Hern’s recall.

While an online reference to the petition could be found, there was no such petition listed on the website.

Cadmus said he would support such a petition, if it existed.