Clark's 2013 Budget Increases Taxes $45 Per $100,000 in Home Assessment

At Monday night's Clark Council meeting, members voted to adopt the 2013 budget, which shows a 4.5-point tax increase or a $45 increase per $100,000 in home assessment.

Mayor Sal Bonaccorso praised Business Administrator John Laezza's work on the budget and compared Clark to neighboring communities, noting that one charges residents $350 per child for summer recreation and another won't pick up residents' Christmas trees. He mentioned the budget shortfall in Linden and how they may have to lay off police and firefighters.

"And here we provide residents with bulky cleanup, monthly branch cleanup, grass cleanup, senior services, rec... to see our school district ranked 40th in state and our high school really coming up in rankings. We have the most athletics in all of Union County. ... I think we’re living in a pretty good place in a pretty good time," said Bonaccorso. "I'm also excited about U.S. Gypsum and senior housing. This is a great community. Is it perfect? Probably not. I’d be foolish to think everything about it is perfect. But we are a safe, well educated, vibrant community, where people are dumping millions and millions of dollars into this business community. The town will realize $1 million more if and when the Gypsum property comes to fruition and two-thirds of that goes to your children's schooling."

In February, council discussed a budget with a six-point increase, but Business Administrator John Laezza has since whittled the budget by a point and a half. 

while 2011's budget had an 8.6-point increase.

When the budget was first introduced, Laezza told Patch it reflects $180,000 in emergency appropriations for Hurricane Sandy and a significant increase in pay-down of the town's debt service, about $400,000 more than 2012. These costs are somewhat offset by Clark's lowered bill from the Rahway Valley Sewerage Authority, a reduction of $196,000. This is the third consecutive year Clark has seen a reduction in sewer use charges; Clark's reduction this year was the biggest reduction of all RVSA member communities.

Previously, Mayor Sal Bonaccorso explained why he felt the debt service move was a smart one.

"We had bond money borrowed for one percent or less coming due that we could either roll into a long-term bond or we could do the very responsible thing in paying it off and getting it off our books," said Bonaccorso. "It's a smart recommendation to clear up some debt. No one likes to pay more, but why pay $600,000 for that $400,000 15 years from now? Municipal debt is way of functioning in government. Every town has debt and we are nowhere near our ceiling; we're keeping it manageable."

Bonaccorso added that Hurricane Sandy cost Clark $500,000 and he hopes the town will get $300,000 back from FEMA.

"But in the meantime, we have to have the money to pay our bills," he said.

See a PDF of the full budget in our gallery, above right.

These numbers reflect only the municipal budget and do not include the 2013 school budget or county tax increases. Clark's 2013 school budget creates an increase of $40 per $100,000 in home assessment.