Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • March 21, 2012 Glen Rock Municipal-purpose budget to increase taxes about $50 by John Koster The Glen Rock municipal budget introduced at the March 14 council meeting will increase taxes for local government by about $50 on the average borough house assessed at $560,000. The increase of 1.7 percent for municipal services, includes administration, police, and the road department, but does not include the school or county figures, which have not yet been formalized. The total general revenues will be $17,027,328, an increase from $12,587,824 in 2011. The amount to be raised by local taxes, $12,686,833, is an increase from $12,472,752 in 2011. At the same meeting, the council adopted the bond ordinance for $1,210,800 in capital expenditures. The money will be used for various items, including new communications and signal equipment and a new front end loader for the road department at a cost of $270,000, parking improvements at Faber Field at a cost of $550,000, and the routine replacement of equipment. “It’s a good budget,” said Mayor John van Keuren. “We should be able to retain all services and to improve some aspects of communication.” Improvement in communication had been cited by Democratic challengers during the 2011 election as one of the areas where they hoped to make improvements if elected. Mayor van Keuren and his two fellow Republican incumbents were re-elected, but some points about improved notification during emergencies were apparently taken to heart. Large sections of Glen Rock lost all electrical power in the aftermath of the late October 2011 snowstorm, and many households were without electricity for five days or more. Most of this was beyond local control, but notification techniques were considered a priority. The council also adopted the ordinance which increases fees for parking violations from $17 per offense to $25 for the first five violations, $50 for the next five, $75 for the five after that, and $100 for all subsequent violations. The ordinance was introduced, and now has been adopted, to demonstrate that “scofflaw” parking is not a part of the cost of doing business. The measure is expected to free up parking spaces in the downtown business district along Rock Road and its tributaries for shoppers and diners. Glen Rock senior and/or handicapped residents living alone, who are not capable of carrying their recyclables to the curb for pick-up, can now get help. The DPW will provide them with two covered containers, one for cans and plastic bottles and one for paper and cardboard. On collection days, see borough calendar, the DPW will do a special pick-up from the rear yard and return the containers to their location. Residents who might be interested in this service should contact Paula Fleming at borough hall at (201) 6703956 for an application. For those seniors in need of home delivery of books and other library materials contact Emily Haberman at (201) 670-3070. Glen Rock maintains a roster of free or discount-priced activities for senior citizens, including bus rides to scheduled shopping trips on the commuter bus, and discount ticket books for taxicab rides. The Senior Citizen Advisory Committee meetings are a focal point where seniors can express their concerns, which are then brought before the Glen Rock Borough Council by Committee Chair Doris Ciaramella. Ciaramella regularly attends the night meeting of the council and advocates senior programs, causes and interests. Services available to borough seniors Superintendent (continued from page 3) time of extraordinary accomplishment for Glen Rock as we passed the ‘tipping point’ and began the ascent to become a true lighthouse district. That has always been my vision for this district and it is gratifying to know how that symbolism has become the lingua franca for a culture of achievement.” He added, “In closing, I offer my appreciation both to the board and to the entire school community for its understanding now and for all of its kindness and support these past three years. “But most of all, you will always have my sincere gratitude for sharing in what is most important to me; that is, wanting to help me breathe life into the multitude of promises contained in a few simple words: Every child. Every chance. Every day.” School trustees said they would begin the search for a replacement immediately. Observers questioned whether it would be possible to retain a superintendent with Dr. Verducci’s high-quality academic and professional background now that the salary for the post has been reduced from Dr. Verducci’s $225,000 a year to $158,000, the new state-mandated ceiling for superintendents.