Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • May 2, 2012 Allendale Library funds facilitated zero increase budget by John Koster Mayor Vince Barra and Councilwoman Elizabeth White led the Allendale Borough Council in praising Lee Memorial Library Board President Laura Granger and the members of the board for chipping in the $330,999 that made this year’s zero-tax-increase budget possible, despite a hard hit from mandatory tax rebates. “It couldn’t have come at a better time,” Mayor Barra said. “We had a one-shot deal that we had to deal with. We don’t anticipate anything else like that coming up next year.” “We were really worried how it was going to unfold,” White told Granger of the bill for the tax rebate, which Allendale was ordered to repay to commercial landowners on Boroline Road near Route 17. The over-assessment could have derailed the council’s attempt to offer the taxpayers a second year with no budget increase, but by bonding the $600,000 and receiving the funds from the library board, the council fulfilled its projection of no new taxes in 2012. “Yours was an outstanding effort,” White told Granger. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.” Barra praised Granger for fostering the cooperative relationship between the Lee Memorial Library and the Allendale Borough Council. (continued on page 29) Allendale Girl Scouts Alexa Sirubi and Alexa Vitti won the approval of Mayor Vince Barra and the borough council for a “Shred Day” project. Document shredding will be provided for a modest fee, and proceeds will be used to purchase gifts for children in the pediatric ward at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. “I want to tell you that this is a great project idea because identity theft is a big, big problem,” Mayor Barra told the two Girl Scouts at last week’s council meeting. The girls plan to bring in a document shredder and offer residents the chance to shred their personal documents for $10 per family. The shredding event will take place in the borough hall parking lot at 500 West Crescent Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 15. Councilwoman Elizabeth White noted before the girls spoke that the borough’s recycling contractor already endorsed the project. J. KOSTER Girl Scouts will host Shred Day Girl Scouts Alexa Sirubi and Alexa Vitti with Mayor Vince Barra.