Taxes

Update: The Board of Education approved the tentative budget. The board will hold a public hearing on the budget at its April 26 meeting. Original Story: The 2018-19 school year could see a more-than tripling in the number of armed police officers in township schools.

Update: The budget was adopted at the council’s April 10 meeting. Original Story: The Township Council March 13 introduced a $61 million municipal budget for 2018 that carries with it a slight tax increase, but, thanks to an increase in property values, a slight decrease in the tax rate.

The long-discussed township youth center could be open for business by September of 2019. That was the projection Feb. 13 by Martin Kimmel, one of the architects contracted by the township to design the facility, which is targeted for a 40,000-square-foot parcel on Lewis Street.

Requests for new equipment and new staff positions highlighted the Township Council’s first hearing for the 2018 municipal budget on Feb. 12. This is the first of two expected hearings, during which department heads and Township Manager Robert Vornlocker appear before the council to make their case for requested money for the coming year.

Update: The township Tax Collector’s office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 30 to accept payments. But read below first … Original Story: Township residents who want to take advantage of a one-time loophole in federal tax law and pre-pay the first half of their 2018 property tax bills should first check with their accountants.

Update: The Township Council tabled the ordinance at its public hearing on Dec. 12. Township Manager Robert Vornlocker suggested the move, saying that he may have a “better way” to keep water rates in synch with rising supplier prices and ensure there is money for needed maintenance and upgrades.

A deal through which the school district and township would swap land – leading to a new home for the district’s administration – could soon come to fruition. Under the deal’s terms, the township would be given the building and property at 1755 Amwell Road – the old Middlebush School – in return for giving the school district three buildings …

The Township Council at its last meeting voted to sell one of the township’s plenary retail consumption liquor licenses and to purchase a piece of heavy machinery. Bids for the liquor license, which start at $250,000, will be accepted until Dec. 6.

Acting on a suggestion from a Township Councilman, Township Manager Robert Vornlocker is researching prices for a mini-fleet of electric cars. Vornlocker said he’d like to have a recommendation to propose to the council during the 2018 budgeting process.

The purchase of a data storage unit and amendments to several contracts were approved by the Township Council at its Oct. 24 meeting. The council approved a $70,000 contract with Starnet Solutions of Farmingdale for a data storage unit to replace an aging one in the township’s data center.