Budget process details how dollars are spent
Department heads attend council meetings to justify their requests for 2007
BY PATRICIA A. MILLER
Staff Writer

BRICK TOWNSHIP - The township public works department is planning to revamp its entire automated trash pickup system routes in the near future, Director Robert Russo told the Township Council recently.

Automated trash pickup was originally formulated on "one house, one can," Russo said.

While employees might be doing pickups at 700 to 800 stops, that might translate into 1,000 stops because of the number of residents who now have two cans, he said

"Two cans has made a major impact on how we do business on the street," Russo said.

Russo made the comments during his proposed 2007 budget presentation to the Township Council at the Feb. 13 council meeting. He was the first of many department heads to make a presentation to justify expenses for the coming year. The budget process will continue for the next 30 to 60 days, council President Stephen C. Acropolis said.

Council members last year decided to make the budget process more open and accessible to the public by having department heads attend meetings and be available to answer questions.

"This is so people will actually be able to see what is done with their tax dollars," Acropolis said.

Russo proposed a total public works budget of $12,430,132 for 2007. That includes $6,952,482 for salaries and wages, $1,598,650 for operating expenses and $3,869,000 for tipping fees at the Ocean County Landfill in Manchester Township, Russo said.

Tipping fees at the landfill for bulk and compacted trash will rise $185,000 this year, he said.

"It turns out to be about $4.30 [increase] per ton," Russo told the council. "We are closing in around $100 per ton in tipping fees."

Total operating expenses for the entire department will rise $286,628, he said.

"The best I can figure is a 2.3 percent increase of this department's operating expense," Russo said."

Salaries and wages for the department will rise $354,648, a roughly 5 percent increase, because of contractual wages, increments and steps, Russo said.

The public works overtime budget will remain the same as last year, at $800,000, Russo said.

Councilwoman Ruthanne Scaturro asked Russo if that number could be reduced, because of the mild winter and a 50 percent drop in annual Summerfest costs.

Some overtime is "unavoidable" because of holidays, when employees are paid double time, and leaf pickup schedules, Russo said.

"You're telling me that overtime is inevitable," Scaturro said. "It's part of our daily life. Sometimes it's cheaper to hire additional people, even including their benefits, rather than pay overtime dollars."

Scaturro suggested Russo do an analysis to determine if that was feasible, or stagger shifts to reduce overtime costs.

Russo said staggered shifts had been tried in the past and were not cost-effective.

"Those numbers didn't jibe with what it costs to work on a Saturday," he said.

The trees dropped their leaves later than usual this past fall, he said.

"There was a big push when they finally did come off the trees," Russo said. "We worked three or four Saturdays. We have to get them off the streets before the Christmas holidays."

Scaturro also questioned why the public works budget didn't detail how much was actually spent, compared to what was budgeted in 2006.

"I'd like to see the actuals," she said.

Vehicle maintenance costs will drop in Russo's proposed budget, because more of the work is being done in-house, he said.

"The work that is being done outside has been cut down drastically, due to the equipment we have and top-notch guys," said Russo "This particular budget will see a $3,500 in the operating and expense side."

The public works department currently has 138 employees on the books, but that number will drop over the next several weeks, due to illness and retirements, Russo said.

"We have seven people slated to retire in 2007," he said. "We'll have a better picture of the number we should be at, the staffing levels we believe are proper, within the next quarter to a half a year, once those retirements really come into fruition."

The public works department accounts for about 18 percent of the township's total budget, Acropolis said.

Acropolis told Russo that 2.3 percent "was pretty good. You have to pick up garbage and plow the streets."

Township Clerk Virginia A. Lampman was up next. Lampman office, which has a staff of six, handles licenses, bond management, typing and filing ordinances, minutes, archive and records retrieval, vital statistics, marriage licenses and birth and death certificates.

"We are the hub," she said.

The projected Township Council budget for 2007 totals $177,900, a decrease of $550, Lampman said.

The number includes $57,000 in salaries and costs for advertising and expert services, she said.

The Township Clerk's office budget totals $563,347, which includes salaries, advertising costs, and staff certifications, she said.

"That 2.3 percent just went out the window," Acropolis said, referring to the public works budget increase.

Councilman Daniel Toth complimented Lampman and her department for their work.

"Never once have I heard anything bad about what goes on in the Clerk's Office," he said.

Township Purchasing Agent Richard MacDonald said expenses for his office, which has a staff of four, will total $413,075 in 2007, a $2,835 increase.

"I think it's frugal in nature," he said.

Salaries will rise $14,380, which reflects bargaining unit increases for MacDonald and his staff.

Operating expenses decreased $11,545 in the postage line item, largely due to a decision not to mail out anticipated tax bills, MacDonald said.