City Council is slated to approve the fourth Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) for a new development in the last 18 months. The governing body last month introduced an ordinance for a PILOT for Metro Rahway and will have a public hearing and final vote at its meeting on Monday night.
Tag Archives: City Council
Third W. Grand Ave site targeted for acquisition
The city is looking to buy out a third West Grand Avenue residential property near the Rahway River that is prone to flooding.
Continue reading Third W. Grand Ave site targeted for acquisition
City commits to 10% cut in impervious surfaces
The City Council last month passed a resolution to “commit to a goal of 10 percent reduction in impervious surfaces” at municipally-owned facilities by 2015.
The city “will make best efforts to reduce impervious surfaces, including equivalent storm water runoff reductions, to set an example to communities that storm water management is a serious matter,” the resolution stated.
The resolution cites communities in the Rahway River Watershed as suffering in excess of $50 million in damages to households and businesses from Hurricane Irene in 2011. “The overdevelopment of properties and the elimination of pervious surfaces throughout the watershed have compromised the ability of the region to manage its storm water without such major damages as seen during Irene.”
This piece in Atlantic Cities, “The Way We Build Cities Is Making Them Flood,” essentially blames the urban impervious surfaces (parking lots, anywhere that water can’t drain, like asphalt), for flooding in the Chicago area — only not where you’d think.
Hamilton Apartments successful in tax judgment
A Hamilton Street apartment complex was awarded a roughly 13 percent refund on its property tax bill over two years after a judgment by the state Tax Court.
Continue reading Hamilton Apartments successful in tax judgment
Redevelopment commissioner reappointed
The City Council on Monday unanimously approved the reappointment of Anthony Diege to another four-year term to the Redevelopment Agency board commissioners.
Council approves vacating 13 feet of Dock Street
The City Council unanimously approved vacating a portion of Dock Street that will allow the developer to redesign portions of Meridia Lafayette Village.
Continue reading Council approves vacating 13 feet of Dock Street
City Council amends budget
City Council on Monday night amended the city budget by resolution (AR-87-13), held the required public hearing on the spending plan, but will approve the budget as amended at its meeting next month.
Chief Financial Officer Frank Ruggiero explained that an amendment is necessary if:
– There is an increase or decrease of 10 percent in a budget appropriation;
– A new appropriation is added that is equal to more than 1 percent of the budget;
– The tax levy is increased or decreased by 5 percent.
In this case, it was the first item, an increase or decrease of 10 percent in a budget appropriation. Specifically, $20,000 was reduced in the Department of Law for salaries and wages, related to the public defender and , along with changes to some six line-items in the budget, which reduced the tax levy by about $32,000, from $34.47 million to $34.44 million. The tax levy is about 2.95 percent, or $985,000, more than last year’s tax levy. In all, the budget stands at $50.77 million.
The change will mean an average tax increase of about $113, versus the originally proposed $116, for the average assessed home in Rahway ($133,000). The municipal budget comprises about 40 percent of the overall property tax bill.
The City Council also unanimously adopted a budget for the Special Improvement District (SID) in the amount of $130,000, which funds the Rahway Arts District.
City budget up for vote, public hearing Monday
City Council is scheduled to adopt a city budget for 2013 on Monday night that anticipates a municipal tax increase of about $116 for the average assessed home ($133,000). A public hearing is scheduled during the regular meeting, which begins at 7 p.m.
The $50.7-million spending plan includes a property tax levy of $34.47 million, an increase of about 3 percent over the previous year. City Council also is scheduled to adopt a separate, $130,000 budget for the Special Improvement District (SID), which funds the Rahway Arts District.
The municipal budget was introduced last month. For a breakdown of some specifics on the tax increase, check out this post from last month after the municipal budget was introduced.