Mahwah May 26, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 9 Governing body amends township’s 2010 budget by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah Township Council has reduced its 2010 municipal budget by $242,000, which will reduce the anticipated property tax increase by one-half cent to 2.3 cents, and result in a municipal tax rate of 49.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. This rate will result in an $82 property tax increase on a home with the township’s average assessed value of $358,230. The adoption of the township’s 2010 budget was delayed until the May 28 council meeting to allow the reduction to be incorporated into the budget. According to Council President John DaPuzzo, the reduction of the municipal budget was made possible by the less than expected cost of certain line items. The spending plan was introduced April 15. DaPuzzo explained that the bids received by Bergen County for disposal tipping fees came in about $11 per ton less than anticipated and with a million dollar line item that translated to a $140,000 lower cost that may still decline if the disposal bid by Waste Management, the township’s waste disposal company, submits a bid lower than the county’s bid. The actual cost for supplying municipal services, such as snow plowing, to the township’s condominium associations also came in less than anticipated in the budget, and that line item is being reduced by $10,000. In addition, the township’s required contribution to its volunteer firefighters’ length of service award program, also known as LOSAP, is $20,000 less than anticipated because, according to DaPuzzo, there are fewer firefighters in the program. The state established LOSAP to allow municipalities to provide tax-deferred income benefits to active volunteer members of an emergency service organization, which generally includes all forms of volunteer fire and first aid organizations. The tax-deferred income benefits for emergency services volunteers come from contributions made solely by the governing body of the municipality or fire district on behalf of volunteers who meet the criteria of a plan created by that governing body. Those criteria may include the number of meetings and fire calls made by the volunteers. The council was also able to reduce the municipality’s 2010 election costs by $30,000 based on the latest cost information received from the county. In addition, a $40,000 Clean Communities grant has been received along with a $1,843 grant for police body armor. Mahwah Township Administrator Brian Campion advised that the 2010 budget that is expected to be adopted on May 27 will show revenues and appropriations at $34,593,293, down from $34,601,176 in 2009. Spending in the 2010 budget will (continued on page 29) Penny Power Members of Brownie Troop 1504 of Mahwah recently earned their Penny Power Try-It badge by visiting Boiling Springs Bank in Mahwah. Pictured with the Brownies is Patty Langdale of Boiling Springs Bank, who led the tour and provided information about banking.