Donovan Introduces $505M County Budget [POLL]
Millions slated for Bergen Community College, Overpeck Park and new juvenile detention center.
Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan on Wednesday introduced a $505 million budget that would raise taxes by $29 annually for the average assessed homeowner.
The proposed 2013 budget includes a $1.8 million contribution to Bergen Community College and $1.4 million to the Bergen County Improvement Authority for one of eight payments to cover 2005 debt from upgrades at Overpeck County Park, northjersey.com reported.
Donovan's budget calls for $2.7 million in fringe benefits and salaries for a new juvenile detention center in Teterboro started under the past county administration. The Republican county executive has said she would not have OK'ed the project.
“There is no fluff in this budget and no gimmicky one shot revenue items. It reflects the county’s obligation to provide quality services in as cost efficient a manner as possible,” Donovan said in a statement.
The tax increase is the largest under Donovan's tenure. Last year's budget brought an annual increase of $12.36.
Donovan pointed to "very modest" economic growth in the region in keeping new county tax revenue down.
“While the nation is still struggling with an anemic economic recovery, we in government must struggle to provide services and meet cost increases that are largely outside our control,” she said.
In a statement, County Administrator Ed Trawinski cited examples of a $2.5 million increase in insurance, including $1.15 million increase in health insurance.
The county freeholders will hold public hearings before a final budget is approved in the coming months.
Gabriel Francis
11:55 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Too bad ferriero's puppet mcnerney and the rest of the clowns left this administration with a large unpaid bill. similar to ganz' boondogle community center scam.
LENNY
9:17 am on Thursday, January 17, 2013
as per the story on this in THE BERGEN RECORD 1/17/2013 our county executive states "described the budget as gimmick free"that keeps her campaign pledge to limit tax increases to below the rate of inflation. the increase is 4.1% in her budget. to all of us on social security our raise based on the cost of living (inflation ) this year is 1.7%. someones math is off here. who is right the US GOVERMENT or campaign bull.
Michael Agosta
9:49 am on Thursday, January 17, 2013
Remember, she is also collecting an annual pension of $100,000 from the resident of Bergen County. Maybe she got a 4.1% COLA for her pension?
Average Joe
5:59 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
How true, lets not forget the sheriff and his executive staff is doing the exact same thing. In fact they are making approximately $250,000 a year. There was an article recently on the attorney for the sheriff who was trying to boost his pay which would pad his pension.
Michael Agosta
9:41 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
The attorney doesn't make as much as Trawinski ($175,000) or Baratta-who just got a $12,000 pay raise ($141,000).
john doe
12:57 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013
Read the full article on north jersey dot com
2.7 million in saleries for the new juvinale detention center. it only costs 500K currently to house them and transport them to and from hudson county. leave them in hudson county. by the way the new facitility can handle 36 but there are currently only three expected to be housed there 1million per prisioner really
leave it closed it would be cheaper. give it to the sheriff dept and have him use it as a processing center or something just because the building is available doesn't mean it needs to be used.
Eastside Dad
4:22 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013
The double dipping in the county government leaves a bad taste in the taxpayers' mouths. You shouldn't be able to collect a public sector pension until 65 or you're done working in the public sector.
jp1
4:27 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013
Good idea eastside.
Alan Griffiths
10:30 am on Friday, January 18, 2013
We need to continue to trim the historical excesses of local spending. The new juvenile center is just one example. This budget does not do that. I do however vehemently object to the fact that Ms. Donovan continues to hold up the contract for the Bergen County Sheriffs department. How we expect our law enforcement to work without a contract is beyond belief.
Ira
2:13 am on Friday, March 15, 2013
You are so right. How can anybody work without a contract?
I just don't get it.
I guess all cashiers, carpenters, dental assistants and all other professions have contracts.
Take your agenda somewhere else. Taxpayers are tired of your winning.
jp1
10:51 am on Friday, January 18, 2013
Be rid of the sheriffs department or county police and then we will see savings.
Eastside Dad
3:01 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
The amount of waste in this county (including the local governments) is staggering. Dozens of school superintendents, dozens of police chiefs, two county police departments, pension double dipping, public sector employees collecting pensions for more years than they actually worked, etc. The system is not sustainable in its present form.
J
3:01 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
Seems to me that Bergen County should target more of the revenue generated by the great malls of Paramus etc. to fill their budget needs and not ask more from the residents of the county through taxes. There is not one day of the week besides Sunday (topic for a different post) where every mall around is packed with cars. Even if they charge 25 cents to park at each mall all day, the amount of revenue they can earn would easily fill the gap - (25 cents times # of parking spots at all of the malls in the county - has to be at least 20,000 maybe a lot more times 300 days rounded will get you at least another $1 million) Look what it does for Englewood who has very little free parking in town.
Edward Baratta
5:53 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
Its time to simply end county government. We don't need it, its completely wasteful.