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April 23, 2010

Willingboro township council looks to trim budget

April 22, 2010
By: Rose Krebs
Burlington County Times
WILLINGBORO — The Township Council is trying to trim the 2010 municipal budget and one of the areas that may be significantly cut is funding for the township library.

Under state statute, a township can have a maximum tax levy increase of 4 percent from the prior year. Township council held a special meeting Tuesday night and was told it still needs to cut about $880,000 to get under cap.

In 2009, the budget was $36.1 million with a tax levy of $24.7 million. This year’s budget is just under $37 million and includes a tax levy of about $27.8 million. Council is set to hold a public hearing on the budget May 11.

On Tuesday, the council went line by line through the budget and recommended some areas be cut. Included among those potential cuts were funding to the library, monies for training and some miscellaneous accounts.

Township Manager Joanne Diggs pointed out that the training and miscellaneous savings would not be significant, possibly amounting to only about $25,000.

The budget has already been cut about $450,000 from the one introduced by council earlier this month. Diggs said the cuts came from council salary and operating and salary expenses in the police department. Thus far, council has decided not to lay off employees and has asked Diggs to pursue all other options before that is considered.

The township provides $1.5 million in funding to the library annually, well over the state mandated amount of $750,000, Diggs said. Some members of council suggested the town perhaps cut that funding to $1 million. Councilman James Ayrer asked Diggs to see how much savings would be generated by having the library open five instead of seven days a week.

“It would hurt less to take off the library,” Campbell said. “I’d like that to be the first cut.”

“The sad thing about all of this is once you take these steps, it’s hard to replace these programs,” Ayrer said.

For more, see tomorrow's print edition. BCT Staff writer Rose Krebs can be reached at 609-871-8064 or rkrebs@phillyburbs.com

Posted by tumulty at April 23, 2010 6:16 PM

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