By ROBERT LINNEHAN
The 2011 Evesham Township budget is decreasing by more than $326,000 from the 2010 level, so why are taxes increasing? To quote Mayor Randy Brown, “Snow, snow, snow, and more snow.”
The 2011 municipal budget was introduced by a 4–1 vote last night, with Deputy Mayor Joe Howarth casting the only vote against the document. The $32.6 million budget is about $600,000 less than the 2010 budget
The township spent over $300,000 this past winter to keep its roads clear of snow and to pay overtime costs for its public works employees to man the snowplows for each storm. Unlike 2010, the township received no emergency funding from FEMA to deal with the snowstorms, Township Administrator Tom Czerniecki said.
“If we would have had just an average year of 12-inches of snow we likely would have seen a decrease in taxes,” Brown said.
Department of public works employees were out on the streets for 16-hours at a time during some of the storms this year, he said. It’s a necessary cost though to keep the streets safe for pedestrians and motorists.
The unforeseen snow cost was one of the main culprits leading to the proposed 1.8-cent increase for the local purpose tax rate. If the budget is passed at public hearing, the average taxpayer in Evesham Township will see an increase of about $49 to the municipal portion of the tax bill. The average assessed home in Evesham is valued at about $276,121.
Czerniecki reported that the township is nearly $500,000 below the maximum allowable tax increase for one year, he said. Evesham Township is also averaging about $724 per capita for its residents, well under the $886 average for Burlington County.
The township will hold the public hearing of the 2011 budget on June 14 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the township municipal complex at 984 Tuckerton Road, Marlton.
In other township news, the council awarded a proclamation to Carlos Martinez, the retiring Director of Community Development. Martinez worked in the township at his post since 1984.
“You were better than great at what you do. I am so sad to lose you,” Brown said to Martinez. “My man, we are going to miss you desperately.”
