Mayor Introduces Capital Budget

Mayor David Stahl presented a Capital Budget to the Township Council Jan. 31 that calls for East Brunswick to borrow $1.797 million for the upcoming year.

The budget includes a software update for $100,000; a dump truck for $160,000; $60,000 for a mower;  $7,000 for a floor buffer; $10,000 for a truck body (water utility vehicle); $80,000 to replace 23-year-old car lifts at the Public Works Department; $138,000 for a backhoe; $250,500 to provide drainage on Federal Road; $1 million for the pavement management program; $10,000 for a new roof on the Daisy Building; $250,000 to re-line Rues Lane/Landsdowne Road; $200,000 to rebuild public safety computer workstations and laptops; and $120,000 to replace patrol cars.

Of that, the township will borrow $95,000 for the software update; $152,000 for the dump truck; $57,000 for the mower; $75,000 for the car lifts; $130,000 for the back hoe; $238,000 for the drainage work; $950,000 for the pavement management program; and $100,000 for the rebuilt computer workstations.

The Capital Budget is separate from a $55.980 million municipal spending plan Mayor Stahl announced the same night. The budget reduces spending by 1.2 percent, but calls for a tax increase due to a loss in revenue.

The spending plan calls for a municipal tax rate of $1.82 per $100 of assessed valuation. Under that rate, the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 can expect to pay $182 in municipal purpose taxes this year, up $10 from the previous year.