|
Dover Township:
Record Two-Year Spending Increase; Record Two-Year Tax Increase
Editor's Note: Four years ago, former Assemblyman and Veteran DMUA
commissioner Robert K. Haelig Jr. predicted that if all levels of government
in Dover Township (local government, school system, DMUA) did not become a
lot more cost-effective and efficient, there would be a new fiscal crisis
that would make the five previous crises in Dover Township look small by
comparison.
Gilmore Hired At A Cost Of $90,000 To Screw Up Code
Last year one more shoe dropped as the new government organized and the
Republican council hired Republican County Chairman George Gilmore at a cost
of $90,000 to "revise and update" the township administrative code. The
result of Gilmore's "work" was a six month delay in getting the new
government off the ground, and a record layout of taxpayers money for dozens
of useless lawyers and political cronies hired by the township.
Haelig Presented Council With Menu Of Savings
Haelig presented the council with a menu of savings that would have
eliminated most of last year's 10¢ tax increase, but Council President
Gregory McGuckin and budget chairman Carmine Inteso refused to consider any
cuts that would have reduced the patronage expenses, and Inteso admitted
that at least a 7¢ tax increase this year was inevitable because of the
Republican Council's refusal to make intelligent cuts.
Haelig Predicted Financial Crisis - See Video
The new budget with a 12.6¢ tax increase presented to the council last
night is the primary consequence of the council's malfeasance with last
year's budget. The two-year tax increase is a record for Dover Township
taxpayers. Following is one of last year's OCP articles on the developing
financial crisis in Dover Township including a video of Haelig predicting
with great precision what has now happened with the new fiscal year budget:
|
Mayor Paul Brush |
|
Commissioner Robert Haelig |
$20 Million In The Red
Commissioner
Haelig Says Combined $19.6 Million Township And DMUA Operating
Deficits May Be "Only The Beginning Of The Worst
Financial Crisis In Dover Township History
To
Video Of This Urgent Report To
The Council
Toms River: Former Assemblyman Robert K. Haelig Jr., a
commissioner on the Dover Municipal Utilities Authority for
twenty-five years, told the township council Tuesday night they face a
combined current operating budget deficit of nearly $20 million in the
local government and at the DMUA.
Only The Beginning, Haelig Says
Haelig described the huge deficit as "only the beginning of the worst
financial crisis in the community's history."
Three years ago, in August of 2001, Haelig predicted the current
financial crisis in a commentary that appeared on the op-ed pages of
the Asbury Park Press and as a letter on the editorial page of the
Ocean County Observer.
Haelig noted the current township budget, which contains the
largest spending increase ever, "has not yet been adopted, even though
the fiscal year began July 1st, nearly five months ago."
GOP Council Yawns, Sleeps - Mayor Is Out Of Town
The council plans to wait at least another two weeks to adopt a fiscal
year 2004-05 budget, and no spending cuts have yet been made, even
though the budget was received from Mayor Paul Brush and introduced
nearly three months ago.
Nobody On Time But The Public
Nobody but the public was on time for Tuesday's 6pm meeting. Mayor
Brush did not attend at all. Councilman Brian Kubiel and Gregory
McGuckin appeared at 6:05pm.
Councilman Mo Hill arrived at about 6:15pm; Councilwoman Maria Maruca,
who did not show up at all for the last council meeting October 26th,
put in an appearance at 6:20pm.
Inteso Was Late Again ; Sevastakis, Fiure Never Showed
Councilman Carmen Inteso, who has been late or absent for five out of
the last six meetings, wandered in about 7:45pm.
Councilmen Michael Fiure and John Sevastakis never showed up for the
meeting.
Components Of Huge Deficit
Haelig listed the components of the huge combined deficit:
'05 Operating Budget Deficit Funded With 11¢ Local Tax Increase, One
Of The Largest Ever - $6.6 Million
One Time Township Reserve Depletion - $3.5 Million
Tax Hike Next Year (Residual Deficit) - $4.2 Million
'05 DMUA Deficit Largest In History - $5.3 Million
Total Combined Deficit - $19.6 Million
Haelig noted the council members and Mayor Brush had all pledged to
make spending cuts amounting to "millions of dollars" in last year's
campaign, promises that "have been broken wholesale."
The former GOP assemblyman also noted the huge operating deficit
contained in the budget adopted Monday night by new DMUA commissioners
appointed by the Republican council and Brush, was approved 4-1 over
his vigorous objections.
Clements Control Commissioners
Who Voted For Huge DMUA Deficit
|
GOP Boss
Richard Clement: His clones adopted record DMUA deficit |
The commissioners who voted for the $5.3 million deficit are all
members of the Republican club controlled by GOP boss Richard C.
Clement, including Clement's wife, DMUA Commissioner Deborah Clement.
Mrs. Clement was honored recently as a nominee of readers and the
OCP editorial staff to the OceanCountyPolitics Top Ten
List of the Worst Public Officials In Ocean County.
DMUA Deficit May Be Largest
Ever For Local Authorities
"The enormous revenue shortfall of $5.3 million may be the largest
operating deficit for any local sewer authority in the history of the
state," Haelig said.
Cost Taxpayers And DMUA Ratepayers Dearly
"It will eventually cost 50,000 ratepayers dearly in the form of
substantially higher sewer rates on top of big township tax increases:
this is all very bad news for the taxpayers," he said.
"Policy decisions made this year by the new government or their
representatives are a disgrace to the Republican party and our
tradition of efficient, economical, cost effective local government,"
Haelig said.
This article prepared for Wednesday, November 24, 2004.
Tenth In The Budget Series
It is the tenth in a series of articles on Dover financial matters.
The next article in this series will appear soon, and will take a look at
the five previous Dover Township financial crises listed by Haelig in
his 2001 commentary, and a menu of proposed budget cuts presented
several months ago
to
the mayor and council by the former GOP assemblyman.
Click Here For Part
Nine Of Budget Series With Another Video Of Accurate Haelig Financial
Predictions And Another Refusal By Council To Cut Last Year's
Budget
|
|
Click Here To Return To Home Page
© Copyright 2003-2009 Ocean County Politics .com. All Rights Reserved.
Questions &
Comments: gvgeditor@aol.com
|
|
