This coming Tuesday night Sept. 7th at 6pm, Middletown will finally adopt it's 2010 Municipal budget. The budget will be 9 months late contain an 11.79 % tax increase to the municipal tax rate.The regularly schedule meeting of Middletown Township Committee, which is open to the public, will not start until 8pm. This meeting will be preceded by an Executive session meeting at 7pm, which means that if the residents or members of the public wish to attend both the budget meeting and the regular meeting they will have to hang out for at least an hour in between, from 7-8pm, until the Executive session meeting is concluded.
This type of scheduling puts an undue burden on the members of the public that would like to attend both meetings.
The early meeting time to adopt the budget was requested at last Monday's special meeting that was held during a power outage that left many residents stuck on the road unable to navigate the streets or stuck in their homes waiting for some kind of relief, by our 'very open' mayor, Gerry Scharfenberger.
If possible, I would encourage interested residents to try and make both public meetings, but if they can't, they should at the very least express their dissatisfaction with Scharfenberger and in the scheduling time of these meetings by calling Town Hall @ 732-615-2015.
As I see it, there is no reason that the budget adoption meeting could not be held at the same time as the regular meeting. The Budget Adoption Resolution is only one resolution that needs to be voted on. The public can speak on it before it is voted on like other resolutions or ordinances that are offered up for comments before approval or adoption.
As it stands now, there is no discussion planned to review the changes that this amendment will make, nor are there any discussion planned as to what took place in Trenton on August 26th, that allowed Middletown to exceed a State budget cap of 4%.
There will be no discussion on anything unless the public comes forward and demands it.
You can read the Agenda for Tuesday's Budget Adoption/Workshop Meeting >>> Here
1 comment:
Just what can be expected from this majority.....no transparency in government whatsoever. An effort to exclude the taxpayers of this township from the decisions that affects them the most...TAXES.
Remember the issues and lack of transparency that surrounded the township revaluation?...the turf fields ?? Is this more of the same kind of disdain for the taxpayer and the less than honest handling of those issues recurring now with this year's budget and the exorbitant municipal tax increases?
Currently a "Public Notice" advising of the change of time for the hearing on the Amended Budget Resolution seems to be missing in the papers that are supposed to print these notices.
Just what does the TC majority have to hide from Middletown's residents? Why is the attitude SPEND and TAX and you had better like it if you are a taxpayer here?
This resident doesn't like the attitude of this mayor and doesn't like what government has become in Middletown under this current majority.
This majority only represents their party hierarchy . They do not represent the people with their constant deception and distortion of the facts in very important issues of concern to this township's residents.
This mayor is a master at deception and has difficulty telling the true facts about the issues.
Middletown will be a much better place to live when he is gone from government here.
Post a Comment