Sanitation Fee Suggested to Reduce Budget Gap

A new sanitation fee is one of two ideas presented by auditor to get the within the 2 percent tax levy increase required by the state.

The sanitation fee was presented by Borough Auditor Dieter Lerch at the June 26 meeting as the Bloomingdale Council passed two resolutions to decrease the budget gap from $575,000 to $225,000. Lerch said the sanitation fee would be an annual charge for garbage pick up and is a practice many municipalities have been putting into place.

Along with a potential statute that would require libraries to transfer their excess surplus back to the taxpayers for tax relief, Lerch said he is confident the gap will be closed soon.

No council members voiced any concerns about the budget-reducing alternatives. However, during the public hearing on the budget, resident Leslie Monsees, who lives by herself and puts out one bag of trash per week, said she did not know whether to laugh or cry.

“Are you serious? With the taxes we all just got increased?” Monsees asked. “If you’re going to consider this, I hope you do it by bulk, not by household.”

Mayor Jonathan Dunleavy explained that the sanitation fee is just one suggestion from the auditor that has not even been discussed yet by the governing body.

Councilman Ray Yazdi, who is also the budget committee chairman, explained that the sanitation user fee and library surplus should be considered “what if” options in the case revenues from the Avalon Bay luxury rental community development plan do not start coming in.

Avalon Bay, a court-ordered project, since April 2011. Dunleavy totals as approximately $2.3 million.

Borough Pushes Payments Back

The first of two budget-related resolutions passed by the council on June 26 reflected a number of changes in budget estimates.

Lerch explained health insurance had been overestimated and could be reduced by $5,000. Additionally, Bloomingdale’s assessed value increased from $400 million to $728 million, generating an additional $82,000.

The resolution also pushed the payment of all prior-year bills to January 1, 2013.

“There’s money left in the 2011 budget, but by law it can’t be transferred after March 31,” Lerch said. “It’s a legal quagmire.”