A municipal budget presented Monday night forecasts an average $116 increase in the city’s portion of the tax bill.
Continue reading City budget estimates average $116 tax increase
Council OKs water rate, taxi fare hikes
The City Council tonight approved three separate ordinances to raise water rates and taxi fares, as well as a revised downtown redevelopment plan.
The governing body last month introduced the ordinance (O-11-13) to increase water rates as well as the ordinance (O-12-13) to increase taxi fares. Here’s a Google Map that details the taxi zone boundaries (and has more than 1,800 views).
Virtually all three ordinances were approved unanimously, 9-0, with the exception of the redevelopment plan, which had one abstention (Council President Samson Steinman). There was no comment from council members on the three measures:
O-6-13, revised redevelopment plan
O-11-13, water rates
O-12-13, taxi fares
City Redevelopment Plan to be revised
The City Council is set to approve a revised redevelopment plan that will consolidate more than three dozen amendments to the existing, 15-year-old redevelopment plan.
Mangos Grill on the block
Mangos Grill, a downtown restaurant and bar on Fulton Street, is up for sale.
Woodbridge-based Kislak Realty is handling the real estate listing, describing it as “large kitchen with opulent dining room, bar and entertaining area,” as well as on-premises parking. The liquor license is available for purchase, according to the listing. No word on asking price.
The property at 1349 Fulton St. is owned by G&T, Inc., which bought it in January 2004 for $555,000. The 0.7-acre site houses a two-story building and is assessed at $518,300, yielding a property tax bill of more than $32,000 last year, according to property records.
Water rate increase coming
The City Council last week introduced a new ordinance (O-11-13) that will raise water rates by about $20, or about 15 percent, effective April 1. The ordinance will come up for a public hearing and final approval at the March 11 regular meeting.
After the water utility ran a deficit of $170,000 in 2010, water rates were raised last year by about 5 percent last year. The City Council at the time considered a recommendation by the city administrator of increasing rates 5 percent for three consecutive years, but the governing body instead sought to address it on an annual basis.
The ordinance would increase the minimum monthly charge from $11.41 to $13.12, an increase of $1.71, nearly 15 percent. The ordinance stipulates increases of 2 percent annually through 2016. The increase would generate about $487,000 for the remaining eight months of 2013, or $13.68 to the minimum user.
In a Feb. 7 memo to Mayor Rick Proctor, Chief Financial Officer Frank Ruggiero explained that the additional revenue will reduce or eliminate the need for the city budget to supplement water utility operations, enable the utility to again become self-liquidating, and fund upcoming capital improvements.
“This amendment would be in the best interest of the city to have the Water Utility Fund be self-liquidating and not rely on the current fund to supplement the operations,” Ruggiero wrote in his memo to the mayor.
City Council introduces taxi fare hike
The City Council last week introduced the first taxi fare hike in seven years and will vote on the measure (O-12-13) after a public hearing at its March 11 regular meeting.
The three taxi zones in Rahway currently are $4, $5 and $6, and the increase would hike fares $1 in each zone, making them $5, $6 and $7; essentially an overall increase of about 20 percent. Boundaries of the three zones are laid out in this Google Map.
Owners of the two Rahway taxi companies requested a fare hike in a December letter to the mayor and City Council. The last increase in taxi fares was November 2005.
Artist housing PILOT approved
The City Council passed a series of measures on Monday night aimed at bringing affordable housing targeted for people in the arts and entertainment industry to the Arts District, including a financial agreement that will provide a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT).
State of the City 2013
Mayor Rick Proctor focused his State of the City remarks last night on regional flood mitigation efforts and the city’s response to Hurricane Sandy while touching on some redevelopment topics. He also warned of a tough budget year, thanks to another water utility deficit that will raise water rates.