Middletown budget would carry 2¢ hike Owner of a home assessed at $200K will pay $40 more a year BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer The Middletown Township Committee has introduced a 2007 municipal budget of $59,641,528, a 1.9 percent increase over last year's spending plan. Under the proposed budget, the municipal tax rate would increase by 2 cents to 70.6 cents per $100 of assessed value. If adopted, the budget will cost the owner of a home assessed at $200,000 an additional $40 per year, or 11 cents per day, and maintain all essential community services provided by the township, according to Middletown Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger. One way that Middletown has tried to reduce spending is by reducing its work force, according to township officials. In 1988, the township had 397 employees, compared with 345 last year. According to Scharfenberger, greater use of technology, interlocal agreements with other nearby municipalities, refinancing existing municipal bonds and purchasing equipment through cost-savings lease agreements with the Monmouth County Improvement Authority have helped in the process. Also, Middletown is borrowing $1 million less than last year. "The Township Committee and I are proud that consistent use of conservative fiscal policies has made a notable difference in our municipal property taxes," Scharfenberger said. The budget includes funds to complete a drainage project in the Leonardo section of town to hopefully conquer flooding problems that have plagued the area. Funding has also been allocated to upgrade Croydon Hall and for improvements to the Middletown Fire Academy. In addition to those projects, a $5.9 million capital project program will take place in order to reconstruct and resurface some township roads, including Railroad Avenue from Church Street to Main Street and Harmony Road from Cherry Tree Farm Road to Thompson Avenue. Among the budgetary obstacles the township faced were increasing pension costs, state-mandated increases in the library operating budget ($3,848,403) and costs associated with the revaluation and last year's tax appeals. The budget was unanimously introduced March 5. A public hearing and vote on the budget's adoption is expected to take place at the committee's next regular meeting April 16, according to Scharfenberger. At the March 5 meeting, the committee also approved the introduction of the 2007 solid waste budget, which will remain the same as last year at 14.6 cents per $100 of assessed value.