Township Council Taxes

The architects of the township’s July 4 celebration are looking to expand the kind of entertainment offered to residents. Township Councilman Carl R.A. Wright (D-Ward 4), a member of the planing committee, said at the Feb. 3 council meeting that the group has “a  lot on the agenda.” “We’re looking at a $17,000 budget,” he said. “It’s not an inexpensive proposition. …

The township will soon accept bids for a new plenary retail consumption liquor license. Based on the last census which showed there are 62,300 people in the township, state regulations allow the township to issue five of the liquor licenses, which are used by bars and taverns. Th minimum bid for the license will be set at $200,000, according to a …

In a move that was met with a standing ovation and cries of “thank you,” the Township Council Sept. 22 voted to prohibit any type of sound system in Middlebush Park. The vote was not unanimous. Township Councilman Carl R.A. Wright and Deputy Mayor Brian Regan voted against the proposal, while Mayor Brian Levine sided with the remaining Democrats in …

Contracts calling for salary increases of between 1 percent and 2 percent for township police officers and supervisors were approved by the Township Council Sept. 9. The contracts fall under the state-mandated 2 percent CAP increases, said township manager Bob Vornlocker. Both contracts are for five years, retroactive to Jan.1 , 2014, Vornlocker said. The previous contracts expired on Dec. …

In a party line vote on Sept. 9, the Township Council directed the start of a program to install sidewalks on streets that do not have them. The first priority will be streets used by school children who must walk to their schools. Township manager Bob Vornlocker said that a priority list was created several years ago, and that streets …

A New Brunswick-based activist Web site’s contention that a change in who runs the New Brunswick water utility will affect what the township pays for its water is not correct, a township official said Aug. 26. That’s because the township buys water from New Brunswick in bulk, under a contract that is in effect through the end of 2026, said township manager …

Changes to four construction jobs have resulted in a net $81,846 increase in their cost. The Township Council approved the changes at its Aug. 12 meeting. The biggest change – $118,503.56 – was for the New Brunswick Road repaving project conducted in the Spring. The increase was due to additional asphalt being needed to pave DeMott Lane between New Brunswick …

Two ordinances allocating a total of $481,350 for open space purchases were introduced at the Aug. 12 Township Council meeting. The first would appropriate $222,000 from the Open Space Trust Fund for the purchase of lots 3, 4 and 5 on Belmar Street. A second ordinance would appropriate $259,350 from the trust fund for the purchase of 334 Skillmans Lane. …

Purchases of goods and services worth nearly $1.5 million were approved Aug. 12 by the Township Council. The purchases covered items ranging from equipment for the Police Department to professional financial services. Highland Park-based Hodulik & Morrison was awarded a two-year contract worth $830,000 for financial and grant administrative services. The contract is worth $385,000 per year for the financial services, and …

The cost of having Somerset County act as the township’s health department will increase more than $37,000 over the next three years. The department’s 2013 annual report and new three-year contract was presented to the Township Council at its Aug. 12 meeting. The council acts as the township’s Board of Health. The township will p[ay $604,682 for the county’s services …