SEA ISLE CITY –– Officials here are split over how and when to implement tax-cutting ideas.

Mayor Leonard Desiderio along with Councilmen John Divney and William Kehner, Administrator George Savastano and Chief Financial Officer James Terruso, announced a 17-point “Blueprint for the Future” aimed at reducing the burden on local taxpayers over the long term at a 1 p.m. press conference March 11, before introducing a budget later that evening that originally had a 17.5 percent tax levy increase when first proposed.

The blueprint calls for an analytic approach to trimming city expenses and running a more efficient government. Savastano said city department heads have been reviewing their operations in preparation of city changes exploring ways to improve.

At the press conference, Desiderio said he wanted to work together with council to make the island a better place to live.

“Our goal is to be nothing less than the finest example of the mayor-council form of government in the state of New Jersey,” the mayor said.

At the later meeting before a standing-room-only crowd of over 100 residents, Council President Mike McHale exchanged words with Desiderio expressing his disappointment in the proposed budget.

McHale said he supports the blueprint program, which will eventually save substantial tax dollars, but questioned why the administration failed to act on several recommendations council made that would have saved money right away.

“The public wants to see some cost-saving measures now, so that they could have faith in the future of our council and administration,” McHale said.

Some of the suggestions he spoke of were eliminating health benefits for part-time professionals, making changes in city employees’ benefit package and collecting money from an old water and sewer extension project.

“I offer these comments, not to play an adversarial position, but to impress upon our mayor and administration that there was ample time over the past eight months to begin implementing cost-saving measures,” McHale said.

He said the city’s failure to implement these measures was why the public is skeptical of the blueprint.

At that statement, Councilman Frank Edwardi challenged McHale.

“We are just now announcing the blueprint to the public,” Edwardi said. “How can you say they’re skeptical of it?”

Following McHale’s comments and prior to introducing the budget, council voted on how to implement 28 tax-relief ideas developed by council workshops, the city taxpayers’ group, financial advisory and non-tax revenue committees.

A majority of the ideas were put off for consideration in the Blueprint for the Future, but officials were able to implement a few ideas that reduced the total budget $236,927 from $12.37 million to $12.13 million. That reduced the proposed levy increase from 17.5 percent to 15.25 percent.

Terruso told the Herald the changes came from releasing an assessment trust fund and eliminating a dispatcher position from the city’s Public Safety Department. He said additional savings could be found prior to the budget public hearing on April 8 to further reduce the impact on taxpayers.

Tom Henry, president of the Sea Isle City Taxpayers Association (SICTA), is pushing for additional cuts in the budget, which he called “obscene” at the March 11 meeting.

In a letter to taxpayers dated Feb. 19, Henry noted the group’s dissatisfaction with the proposed budget and applauded McHale’s efforts in reducing taxpayers’ burden this year.

“As the budgets were prepared in recent years, SICTA presented many suggestions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of city government,” Henry wrote. “Sadly, these recommendations were ignored.”

Councilwoman Mary Tighe took exception to the letter noting that everyone on the council and in the administration was working hard during the budget process.

Henry said he was sorry if anyone was offended by the letter, but his group had “high expectations” for the new government and thought some changes would be made right away.

Henry applauded the city’s blueprint plan championed by the administration and Divney, noting it would “pay dividends in the long run,” but agreed with McHale that additional savings could be implemented in this year’s budget.

In the end, council introduced the proposed budget making some changes and promising to work for more before the public hearing. Officials also said the city’s blueprint would help taxpayers in the future.

Desiderio said the plan would be a “work in progress” changing as the needs of the community change.

“We will look to do what’s best for the people of Sea Isle City,” he said at the blueprint press conference.
Divney agreed with the mayor.

“I think the blueprint is something that is a deliberate plan, step-by-step to go forward and reach the goals we want to reach, versus having knee-jerk reactions as something happens.”

Kehner noted that the city must change or residents would be forced to live somewhere else.

“If we don’t change together we might as well tell the last citizen who leaves to turn the lights off,” Kehner said.

The outline of the Blueprint for the Future and target dates for implementation include:

• Vision Statement, March-May 2008
• Mission Statement, May 2008
• Develop Shared Values, May 2008
• Departmental Analysis, June-September 2008
• Position Analysis/Salary Study, May-2nd half of 2008
• Incentive Program to Expedite Reduction in Workforce, March-May 2008
• Healthcare Benefit Review, May 2008
• Labor Contract Review, Summer 2008
• Emergency Service Review, Fall 2008
• Fleet Management Plan, September 2008
• Facility Assessment/Maintenance and Improvement, June-2nd half of 2008
• Communication/Public Information, ongoing
• Planning/Master Plan and COAH, March-August 2008
• Personnel Policies, Summer 2008
• Capital Plan, July-December 2008
• Explore Professional Services, ongoing
• Forecast 2009 Budget Impact, September 2008

Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com