Proposed City Budget Would Raise Taxes 1.96%

City Administrator Chris Cotter proposed a city budget Thursday night that would increase taxes 1.96 percent.

Common Council's first budget workshop comes just a day after Governor Chris Christie announced Wednesday that Summit's municipal state aid would remain flat this year at $3,023,257.

Common Council instructed Cotter earlier this year to keep the municipal tax levy increase to 2 percent which is now required by Christie's tax levy cap anyway.

"This shaves it very, very, very, close to get to 1.96 percent," Cotter said.

The budget includes a $209,338 statutory minimum funding decrease to the and a reduction in full-time city employees by five people, largely through attrition, Cotter said.

In the , Cotter said the city is looking at different plans for garbage and trash pickup which could save the city money by potentially keeping the same system or switching to curbside pickup, an automated system or a variety of other options.

In the , common council approved an ordinance Feb. 15 to increase user fees at both the Family Aquatic Center and at the Municipal Golf Course as a means to generate more revenue.

The budget also includes the replacement of three police vehicles. However, only two would be purchased. Lt. John Dougherty said the department is currently investigating the possibility of leasing a third vehicle every few years to supplement the fleet.

However, Mayor Jordan Glatt broached the subject of a city re-evaluation to reassess property values, something that hasn't been done since 1994. Part of the reason for doing a re-evaluation would be to get a more accurate picture of the assessed value of the homes in Summit for taxation purposes.

"It’s not popular but it’s the right thing to do," he said.

Councilman Rich Madden said he opposed doing a re-evaluation at this time for financial reasons. It is estimated that doing a re-evaluation could cost the city upwards of $2 million.

"I don’t think it’s a necessary thing to spend a couple million bucks on this at this time or in the foreseeable future until the economy really picks up and we can open up the flood doors so to speak like we did the in '90s and early 2000's," he said.