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BUDGET , from Page 1 advisable and necessary .”
“ In the CY 2023 budget year , the final appropriations of the town of Hammonton shall , in accordance with this ordinance and N . J . S . A . 40A : 4-45.14 , be increased by 3.5 percent , amounting to $ 397,080.19 , and that the CY 2023 municipal budget for the town of Hammonton be approved and adopted in accordance with this ordinance ,” the ordinance states .
Councilman Edward Wuillermin made a motion to adopt the ordinance , which Councilman Steven Furgione seconded . DiDonato commented further .
“ This council has spent an enormous amount of time discussing this year ’ s budget . This was not an easy thing , to raise taxes 2.5 cents ,” DiDonato said . Councilman Thomas Gribbin concurred .
“ We had $ 1 million in costs this year that we didn ’ t have last year . That ’ s not an excuse ; that ’ s a fact . Pension increases , health insurance increases , garbage and trash removal and disposal increases , recycling cost increases , debt service increase ; it ’ s not because of vanity projects . Those were costs that were laid at our feet ,” Gribbin said .
The ordinance was adopted and published .
Council then entertained Resolution No . 82-2023 , Amend 2023 Budget . According to the resolution , the Recycling Tax will be lowered from $ 18,000 to $ 17,982 . All other appropriations
Wednesday , July 5 , 2023 • The Hammonton Gazette • Page 3
Town council discuss 2023 budget at council meeting
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will remain the same . The resolution carried unanimously .
Council then entertained Resolution No . 82-2023 , Adopting the 2023 Budget . The resolution authorizes $ 10,432,015.92 to be raised by taxation for municipal purposes , with an anticipated surplus of $ 2,819.000 , anticipated miscellaneous revenues of $ 3,431,993.63 and receipts from delinquent taxes in the amount of $ 2,700 for a total budget of $ 16,685,709.55 .
The resolution carried unanimously .
During the open public comment portion of the meeting , resident William Cappuccio addressed council about several financial concerns , beginning with the 2.5-cent increase .
“ I noticed that the school board was able to keep their budget balanced with no increase . The county was able to do a great job with theirs , with a tax decrease — so , it makes me wonder : what are we doing different ?” Cappuccio said .
Cappuccio also spoke about the proposed purchase of the former Wells Fargo Bank building at 236 Bellevue Ave .
“ Why is the town becoming a real estate investor ? It ’ s a good question , and — no offense , Mr . Mayor — you signed an agreement of sale first , and then came to council for approval . It ’ s sort of reminiscent of when you took the Columbus statue down , and then came and asked for approval ,” Cappuccio said .
DiDonato said that was not correct , and asked Town Solicitor Michael Malinsky to clarify .
“ The agreement of sale was a negotiated agreement discussed in closed . At open , council approved that agreement , and then the agreement of sale was executed ,” Malinsky said .
Later , Malinsky provided a more in-depth response .
“ Our February meeting was February 27 , 2023 ; that ’ s when we approved the Wells Fargo agreement in open . The contract was executed on February 28 , 2023 — the following day . It was executed by the mayor , by our escrow agent and by the bank the following day — after it had already been approved by us and approved by Wells Fargo ,” Malinsky said . Cappuccio continued . “ Did we do a Phase One investigation of the property ? Do we know if it ’ s contaminated ? Did we have a property or a building
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