Council OKs 7.5-cent budget amendment Budget would raise taxes on $200K-assessed property value by $150 BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer EDISON — After months of wrangling, the Township Council passed a budget amendment on Wednesday that will raise the municipal tax rate by 7.5 cents per $100 of assessed property value. The amendment was passed 6-1, with Council President Robert Diehl voting against the budget because it included $37,500 to be spent on a municipal counselor who would replace Township Attorney Jeffrey Lehrer as the representative of the legislative body. Lehrer would remain as the attorney for the administration. “I don’t agree with everything,” Diehl said. “I don’t agree with the appropriation of $37,500 for a lawyer I don’t think we need, so I will not be voting for this tonight.” The budget, coming in at 6 cents lower per $100 assessed value than the spending plan proposed by Mayor Jun Choi, will raise the property tax on a home assessed at $200,000 by $150 for the year. Choi’s budget originally came in with a 13.5-cent increase, but the council proposed a budget with an 8.5-cent increase. That was slashed one more penny when the state awarded the township $700,000 in extraordinary aid earlier this month. Councilwoman Antonia Ricigliano expressed regret that the budget was not able to be reduced even further. “I am extremely disappointed to know that this budget has come in at 8 cents,” Ricigliano said. Ricigliano called the mayor’s 13.5-cent budget “an abomination” and said that though 7.5 cents is an achievement, knowing that it could have been lower — saving taxpayers some money — was disappointing. “If we can do something at this council level to make it just a little bit easier for people to live in this township,” Ricigliano said, “then that was our responsibility.” Councilman Anthony Massaro said that while the council could have done better, given the hand they were dealt, this budget was an accomplishment. Massaro said the council slashed the budget to 7.5 cents by trimming reserves that would not affect the daily activity of the municipality, and by cutting expenses that were replicated elsewhere. “It was the best job we could do, given the existing circumstance,” Massaro said. “Was it the best job? No. Could we do better? Yes. But in the world of reality, it was the best possible job.” Councilman Charles Tomaro said that he was worried that the lack of the surplus, which had been spent in 2005, would adversely affect future budgets. “I will be voting yes,” Tomaro said, “but I worry about what will happen this coming year, January 1, what effect this budget will have for our community to operate, and to operate successfully. I don’t want to look like Perth Amboy, and I’m afraid that could happen.”