(these are questions from the 2010 muni budget review FYUI. post #10 if q's from 2009)
Attn: Mayor and council, CFO/treasurer
Resident review with questions and comments of the 2010 GW municipal Budget
From: Bruce paterson, 325 willow ave, GW, NJ home 908-654-1392 5/1/10
To the boro administrator, mayor and governing body, I thank you for the opportunity in allowing members of the public to comment and ask questions on the Garwood municipal budget. It is also commendable in again reaching out and having the public email any budget questions ahead of time to allow the financial officer to review and be able to have any appropriate information ready at the meeting.
Any clarifications required you can reach me at the phone number above. Please note that in giving answers to my questions, this may elicit an additional question for clarification at the budget meeting. Hopefully all parties look forward to this as an educational venue also since many items and issues get clarified for those not on the financial committee. The format will be in 3 sections and all related to the financials of the boro: 1-general questions; 2-revenue questions; 3- appropriations
(Note: abbreviation: MFC= may further comment. S&W= salaries and wages)
General:
1) What is the present yearly minimum wage to participate in the PFRS and PERS pension system. Are seasonal workers allowed in the system. How many “part time” (less than 30 hours/wk) Garwood muni workers are in the system presently?
2) How many boro workers accepted the $6,000 stipend to opt out of the boro insurance plan. This appropriation would be located in what account code. Is this a one time payment with no subsequent payments the following years.
3) How much has the incident cost the taxpayers out of pocket, caused by the termination of ex-officer Mirabella, which is comprised of legal fees, filing fees and other costs. How much money did officer Mirabella receive when he was terminated; consisting of contractual items. Or did he have to forego all pay due him and all accrued sick, vacation and leave days due him.
4) In the budget are there any costs that are recoded and now are in other line items different from last years line items? (the county does this under the guise of “reorganizing” every year. The BOE did it some shuffling last year and this year.)
5) What is the total $ amount set aside at this point for the recreation area complex project? How much was expended from this line item during last calendar year. Are there are grants that are set to expire in the 2010 calendar year.
6) How many condominium units of the MEWS aka The Pointe are now on the tax records for this budget year. Are there any units left waiting for CO. What is that ratable total broken into muni, school and county taxes.
7) How many units of housing have filed for a tax appeal last year. Also so far for this year. How many appeals have been adjudicated and have we had to remit tax moneys since the tax on the property is less. How much in tax moneys had to be remitted last year. I see sht 20 accnt 36-477-2 has $8.5k allotted for appeals pending.
8) What is the portion of municipal taxes to be received by the Mews Jr project across Chestnut street form the Pointe.
9) What is our total debt including bonds. What is the increase from last year.
10) The RVSA recently has decided to remit another $31,000 apportioned to Garwood. Is this in the budget figures.
11) What is in our “cap bank”. Did we use any of this for this budget.
12) Are the “extraordinary aid” grants from the state still in existence? Are we planning to chase this.
13) How many and who of the governing body has accepted the health insurance benefit.
14) Sht 3D shows we are under “tax levy cap” by $370,909. Is this part of the cap bank process.
15) Sht 3E shows our liability by accumulated absence. We assume the $223,260 is an unfunded liability except for the $15,000 added by this year. Is the Wilde, Wilson and Mirabelli totals now removed from these numbers.
16) Wilde and Wilson retired feb 1st this year. What were the $ amounts of the accrued absence days and other ancillary costs due them at initiation of retirement by contract. Is this appropriated in our 2010 budget.
17) What is our total unfunded liability to date of the PFRS? Of the PERS. The amount we are funding shown on sht 19 of the amounts 0f $48.9k for PERS and $167.1k for PFRS-is this a full funding or portion of what is supposed to be funded this year.
18) How much $ did the library give back to the boro from last years appropriation that they did not use it all up.
Revenue questions:
1) sht 5: accnt 09-200 decreased by $110,000. What is this?
2) Sht 9: accnt 10-713 “Kids rec trust”- how can we expect $101.5k. In 2008 2 years ago it was only $60k. The county is under major financial stress and the 1.5% assessment may be adjusted. Is there appropriations assigned for these moneis.
3) Sht 10: accnt 08-120- sale of muni assets. What are we selling to assume $8k in income.
4) Sht 10: accnt 08-122-“reimb of costs-library” this went up $8k and we are now getting $38k from the library. Is this for higher cost of health insurance and retirement benefits.
5) Sht 10: accnt 08124: “shar5ed service with cranford” what are we offering them. Are there any costs that we are paying to local towns or county that are costing us?
6) Summary Sht 11: accnt 09-001- “state aid without offsetting appropriations”-is this the toatal amount of muni aid that the governor has cut to GW.
7) Summary sht 11 accnt 15-499: “receipts from delinq taxes”- 2 years ago in 2008 it was only $69k. Last year in this line item we realized $159k with anticipation of $90k. This year we forecast $100k. What is the total property taxes that are in arrears and uncollected to date by our residents for the muni/sch/cnty. Is that the item on sht 3A called “reserved”. How many properties are presently in foreclosure.
Appropriations questions:
1) sht 12 accnt 20-100-1 S&W (typ-salary and wages) for admin: This went up 7.1%. Why. (MCF)
2) Sht6 12 accnt 20-110-1 S&W for mayor and council- This went up by $3,000 from the modified 2008 number. I thought there was a rollback for the empathetic sentiment of “we feel your pain”. What happened. (MCF)
3) Sht 12 accnt 20-120-1 S&W for muni clerk- this went up 4.2%. (MCF)
4) Sht 12 accnt 20-130-1 S&W for financial admin- This went up 3.6%. Why.
5) Sht 13 accnt 20-145-1 S&W for tax collector-this went up 6.2%. Why.
6) Sht 13 accnt 43-490-1-1 S&W for muni court-this went up 3.8%. Why
7) Sht 14 accnt 21-180-1 S&W for planning board-this went up $9k or 30%. Big Why?
8) Sht 14 accnt 26-313-2 “other expenses for shade tree”-went down $(10.0k) Is that a type, if not why?
9) Sht 15 accnt 25-240-1 S&W for police- even with breakage of 3 young officers coming abouard there was still an increase of this accnt of $17k. What was the breakage and what is the salary increase to still make this account cost more.
10) Sht 15A accnt 26-290-1 S&W for “streets and roads”-this went up 3.9%. Why. When was the contract up for negotiation and settlement? What was the salary increase terms. Who was involved in the negotiation on the boro side.
11) Sht 15B accnt 27-330-2 other expenses for BOH-this went up 5.4%. Why
12) Sht 20 accnt 31-455-2 “sewer charges’ This went down $183k. Is this a one time decrease by the RVSA. My take is that they are giving back their accrued surplus.
13) Sht 20 accnt 36-477-2 LOSAP appropriations: why did this go down $25k.
14) Sht 20A accnts 36-475 and 471 retirement funding: total of 2 accounts is $194k. in 2009 it was $ok. In 2008 it was $422k. Are we still taking a holiday of full funding of our pension obligation?
15) Sht 26 accnt 44-901-2 “capital improvement”-this is now 40 dollars. We are not planning to do any improvements to our boro assets.
16) Sht 32 last item on right; addnt 2311700- This says our current surplus will be $71.3. From last years budget statement that number was $216k. Does that mean we used $145k of our surplus. Does this mean we have only $71k left to cover any unanticipated issues.
17) Capital Budget sht 33b: the total is $153k. Last year the total was $375k. It appears that we are cashed strapped and cannot make many improvement to our boro assets.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Bruce Paterson
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