Waldwick March 21, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 3 The Waldwick Borough Council last week introduced an operating budget for 2012 that proposes virtually no increase in spending. The total budget of $13,636,105 is up $69,044. Of that amount, however, $52,600 represents the emergency appropriation the council adopted last year to clean up after the Oct. 29 snow storm. “The borough is in good shape. This is the lowest increase since I’ve been on the council. We looked up, cut, trimmed and reviewed the budget line by line,” said Councilwoman Anita Bozzo. The amount to be raised by taxation for municipal purposes is $8,125,948. This amount calls for a tax increase of $20.80 (one half of one cent on the tax rate)for a house assessed at $416,000, the borough’s average.The contribution to the public library, set at $521,804, has been taken out as an item on the municipal budget and henceforth will be shown as a separate item on property owners’ tax bills. Amounts for the public schools and the county have yet to be determined and are not part of the municipal budget document. Municipal budget keeps down tax increase The proposed budget is below the state-mandated cap of 2 percent. In fact, since the borough has been under the state cap for two consecutive years, it has built up a cap bank of $479,128, which will be able to be applied at a future time if needed. The budget also includes about $80,000 in employee contributions to their health benefits. Prior to the state mandating the employee contributions, the borough had negotiated a 1 1/2 percent of salary contribution for single employees and 2 percent of salary for family coverage. The water utility budget is set at $1,803,099, up from $1,707,788 in 2011. The public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Tuesday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers. and sets ranges for other employees. Borough Administrator Gary Kratz said that union employee salary raises previously negotiated are as follows: 3 percent for DPW staff, which are on the third year of a three-year contract; and 2 percent for PBA members, who are on the second year of a twoyear pact. Last week the council also introduced a salary ordinance, giving non-union employees a 2 percent increase in 2012. It sets the mayor’s annual salary at $2,000, with $1,499 annually to each council member, Salary ordinance