Bergen County Freeholders adopt budget with tax increase, cuts in police spending
Wednesday June 5, 2013, 10:12 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
The Bergen County Freeholders approved a 2013 county budget Wednesday that trims about $2.3 million from the budget proposed in January by County Executive Kathleen Donovan.
By a 6-1 vote, the board adopted a $498-million spending plan that will mean a tax increase of $24.63 for the owner of the average home, assessed at $324,200.
The budget also marks the first time in three years that overall county spending will go up. This year’s budget is about $11 million more than the $487-million budget the board adopted in 2012.
Freeholder Maura DeNicola cast the lone dissenting vote, saying she saw areas in the budget where more cuts could have been made.
DeNicola also questioned the wisdom of slicing $700,000 from the payroll of the 81-officer County Police Department. County budget officials say the budget will not require any layoffs, but DeNicola questioned how that could be.
“This is not the time to lay off police officers, no matter what uniform they are wearing,” DeNicola said.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/Bergen_County_freeholders_adopt__budget_with_tax_increase_cuts_in_police_spending.html