Tough times are bringing a rise in county taxes and a number of layoffs. The Passaic County freeholders recently introduced its $388.78 million 2008 budget, up about $17.5 million from last year. The average home levy increase per town is as follows: Little Falls - $173; Totowa - $150, Wayne - $208, and West Paterson - $171. The boost for the mean assessed county home is $162. A public hearing on the spending plan is scheduled for April 22, according to Anthony De Nova, Passaic County administrator.
According to De Nova, the county is contending with a series of whammies. Revenues have decreased over $7 million. A number of expenses - including pension, health care, and utility costs - have soared. The county is forced to take a $10 million loan to compensate for the court tossed Passaic County Golf Course sale. The county is also ratcheting up the tax levy $24.47 million, even with a $9 million work force reduction.
The administrator said the $10 million loan heightens the county tax hike. He said that factor alone breaks down per mean homestead as such: Little Falls - $71, Totowa - $61, Wayne - $85, and West Paterson - $70.
De Nova said, to date, 169 county positions have been axed. The administrator said more than 150 came from law enforcement/corrections staff. He said those agencies are the Passaic County Sheriff's Department (PCSD), the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, and the youth detention center.
De Nova said, given the fiscal crunch's magnitude, the county had no choice but to slash county police and guard jobs. He said the bulk of the county's work force is in those fields. The administrator said most of layoffs have already been implemented. More will come, he said, following consultation with county department heads. He declined to give an estimated number of positions.
"I'd say, we have $2 to $3 million more to go," he said.
He said the downsizing would stabilize the county's fiscal future. He said, besides salaries, the cutbacks also lessen the county's fringe benefit outlays.
"This 2008 budget will begin to pay long term dividends. Moving forward to 2009, you are going to see the benefits of this."
De Nova said the county has been tightening its belt in other ways. He said the days of fully subsidized benefits are over.
"We're asking our employees to contribute to their health benefits for the first time, and I have been successful in five contracts."
He said other cost saving measures have been executed. He said some county positions have been consolidated. He added county departments, for the fourth consecutive year, were asked to keep operating expenses flat.
The administrator said the county, through tough financial medicine, is looking out for its citizens' interest.
"Government has to shrink down because we can't afford the property taxes we're paying."
He said no time is being wasted dwelling on the nixed golf course sale. "As far as I'm concerned, that's water under the bridge. We're moving forward. These are tough times, and if you look around, it's just not government," he said, about economic struggles.
De Nova said had the links sell gone through, a big number of layoffs would have been averted. He added that the transaction, a bond-raising transfer to the Passaic County Improvement Authority, would have ended the golf course's money woes.
The administrator noted the county provides many services for the tax money it collects. He said among them are, jail and courts, PCSD road patrols, meals on wheels, mosquito control, and weights and measures. He said the last department is a commercial scale testing agency.
De Nova said many people do not know the full range of county's operations. "If you sit down with one of the residents, and ask them what you get for your taxes, they are not going to name half the things."
