On Monday, April 18, the Township of Clark 2011 municipal budget was approved unanimously by town council.

The total amount to be raised by taxes (including the minimum library tax) for 2011 is $14,767,542, an increase of $393,551 from 2010. The increase represents 8.6 tax points, or $86 per $100,000 in assessed home value. 

A complete presentation on the budget was available during the meeting and is attached in the photo gallery on this page.

After the budget was approved, Councilman Pat O’Connor, finance committee chair, addressed council.

“Other than mandatory items, we included a two percent increase in wages for all of our employees as well as including significant increases in both the utility and gasoline costs,” said O’Connor. “I’m proud to report that Clark is one of the few towns in New Jersey that is continuing to provide services within cap without requiring either furloughs or layoffs, not a simple feat in today’s world of local government.”

O’Connor thanked Mayor Bonaccorso, Business Administrator John Laezza and the administration for “working hard to put together such a great budget and having the town run so efficiently.”

Mayor Bonaccorso thanked members of council for supporting the budget, thanking especially Councilman Richard Kazanowski “since he is from the opposite party of most of us here.”

Mayor Bonaccorso said this year the snowstorms and rising price of gasoline affected the budget, as well as likely going to arbitration with the police union over contracts.

There were no comments during the public hearing on the budget. Councilman Alan Barr and Councilwoman Sheila Whiting were absent from this meeting.