Following a second reading and additional public comment, at its most recent meeting, Cherry Hill Township Council unanimously approved the operating budget for fiscal year 2020, including passage of a resolution to add $150,000 for police department pensions.
With the budget passage, Mayor Chuck Cahn, as well as council, marked the eighth straight year in which municipal taxes were not raised.
Total revenue under the budget allowed for $74,035,812 toward municipal purposes, with 44,834,797.46 expected to be raised in taxes and $17,323,423.93 in anticipated miscellaneous revenue.
Also included in the budget was $1,486,629.06 for capital improvements and nearly $15 million for municipal debt service.
“For the past eight years, I have worked to uphold my commitment to the hard-working families of Cherry Hill to run the town efficiently, while keeping my promise to protect and preserve the character and integrity of our community and our neighborhoods,” said Cahn in a statement read by township solicitor Robert N. Wright.
At council’s previous session on Aug, 19, it unanimously passed a resolution introducing the budget on first reading. It also concurrently approved an ordinance allowing for a 3.5 percent increase in total appropriations from the 2019 budget amount.
According to that ordinance, the state’s Local Government Cap Law allows municipalities to increase their budgets by as much as 2.5 percent from the final amount – unless a subsequent ordinance is passed allowing that total to reach 3.5 percent.
As such, township council found it “advisable and necessary to increase its SFY 2020 budget by 3.5 percent over the previous year’s appropriations, in the interest of promoting the health and safety and wellness of its citizens,” according to language contained in the ordinance. Therefore, an increase within the 2020 budget of 1 percent, amounting to $515,186.66 was accounted for, over the final budget amount plus additional appropriations allowed by the cap law.
As the budget ordinance was ultimately passed, Cherry Hill should have a “cap bank” of approximately $1.9 million hedging against future needs. Council President David Fleisher stated at the Aug. 19 meeting that establishment of a cap bank is a good thing, which means the budget itself comes in under the cap, and the surplus can be used for a time when a budget must exceed the cap.
In his remarks read by Wright on Sept. 23, Cahn apologized for not attending the meeting, but thanked fellow members of council for their hard work to complete the budget. He added that it was a privilege and honor to serve Cherry Hill as mayor for his two terms, also thanking the public for placing its trust in him.
“Once again we have proposed a budget that commits funds to the services and initiatives that matter to the residents of Cherry Hill. These include investments into public safety, township roadways, recreational facilities, historic properties, open space, programming for children and seniors, and government accessibility.”
For more information on the budget, the township suggests residents contact the Mayor’s Office at (856) 488-7878 or email MayorCahn@chtownship.com.
