In light of a $1.2 million shortfall in 2010, mostly due to a large number of tax appeals, Mayor David Fried will be cutting the township’s staff, as well as reducing pay for employees that retain their jobs. About 10 of 127 positions will be eliminated beginning immediately, with those losing their jobs being given 30 day notices and pay through January 15. (Editor’s note: even Scrooge didn’t fire Bob Cratchet)

“Two employees in the engineering department have been laid off and one additional cut is expected later this month in the same department. Other employee-layoffs will include two firefighters, a bailiff from the police department, two vacancies in the public works department that won’t be filled, one employee from the clerk’s office, the economic development coordinator position will be eliminated and a full-time employee in the finance department was downgraded to part-time.”

Employees staying on will see a pay cut or furlough time, and beginning next year all employees will begin to pay more more their health care. These cost cutting measures, which also included selling two police cars, are estimated to save the township nearly $1 million and come close to breaking even.

The Mayor attributes most of these fiscal problems to the tax appeals due to the recent revaluation. As a way of protesting the tax problems,  “Last month Fried withheld $347,168 due to the county. He said he will hold it until he gets approval for a townshipwide reassessment of property values. In a letter Fried sent to County Executive Brian M. Hughes on Dec. 3, Fried also requested that the county order the municipalities that have not yet conducted revaluations to do so. He believes that a countywide revaluation would start all municipalities on even ground.”

County Executive Hughes responded by saying that he believes Mayor Fried doesnt understand how government works. “If it weren’t so silly, I think it would be sad,” said Hughes, adding that the county doesn’t have to continue to educate the mayor on the Mercer County Tax Board.  For somebody to have the kind of problems he’s having, cutting staff and services in his own town he’s not the right person to tell the other 12 towns when to do their revaluation”.

Source: nj.com

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