HAMMONTON BLOG

Hey Jim........where is the beef?

Are you being serious about the tax increase by the current town council? I am very good with numbers and what was posted in the article seems like a good tight budget. Am I missing something or what?

Didn't we just debate a posting about the Hammonton schools being underfunded by close to 3 million dollars. I keep waiting for the taxes to increase too but this posting does not reveal anything but a pretty tight budget. Are you talking out both sides of your mouth or just playing politics?

I do believe the future budgets are going to require a tax increase. It would also be preferable to have larger surpluses in reserve accounts like when the Republicans were in control of the town council but I cannot argue with budget you posted.

Did I miss something?
Where is the beef to your argument.

OMG ! Jim No new taxes my tax bill went down last year.  Hey dems if you want to win get rid of this fool.  The fact is clear no new taxes and lower debt.  Towns everywhere else are laying off people and have tax increases.  So i say it still looks good.

Anonymous wrote:

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OMG ! Jim No new taxes my tax bill went down last year.  Hey dems if you want to win get rid of this fool.  The fact is clear no new taxes and lower debt.  Towns everywhere else are laying off people and have tax increases.  So i say it still looks good.

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 Spending went down even according to the numbers posted here.  Looks like another tight budget.  Too bad Obama in Washington and Corzine in Trenton don't run things like this.  They just run massive deficits every year.

Anonymous wrote:

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OMG ! Jim No new taxes my tax bill went down last year.  Hey dems if you want to win get rid of this fool.  The fact is clear no new taxes and lower debt.  Towns everywhere else are laying off people and have tax increases.  So i say it still looks good.

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 It certainly must be tough for the Democrats to run each year saying the sky is falling.  Kind of like Chicken Little.  Maybe this year Sam Mento will try something different against Jimmy Curcio. 

Then again,  the nmore Rich Jacobus writes letters to the editor, the more negative it seems.  Works well for the Dems opposition.  I guess to be fair, others should buy Jacobus his pens and paper.  It seems only fair.  Keep writing it up!

Actually, the real bottom line is this.  HF introduced zero tax increases four years in a row.  The school has had zero tax increase three years in a row.

Now the Dems would like to say it never happened.  Of course, they have the option to have their leaders and candidates for this year go to the next council meeting and say right at the opening of the meeting they are against the budget.

Of course, the hard part is that if the Rs and Ds do that openly, it makes it difficult for them to try to take credit for the zero tax increase later because right now they are telling the world they have had nothing at all to do with the zero tax increases of the past few years.

And my water bill doubled.

Actually, I am not a Dem.  I voted for HF.  And I feel lied to.

It has been "uncovered" that the mayor intends to pay down another $1.5 million in debt over the next few years. 

It was voted on in an ordinance by council (http://www.geocities.com/james_maclane/051908.pdf).

Debt is continuing to go down!  How horrible! 

The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!  We need to join the Democrats because the sky is falling!

Sky has already fallen, friend.  Look I fell for the Mayor's line of crap.  But the bottome line is Jim is right.  The Mayor took what was supposed to be debt reduction projections for this year and said debt was reduced last year.  But the debt was never really reduced.  Now, they have re-financed our debt which means we will paying the debt for a longer period of time.

Plus, our surplus has been dropping...the AC Press article shows that and  taxes went up along wiht our sewer rates went up.


We are in bad shape.  No one wants to admit.  I supported HF the last three years.  Not anymore.

My figures came directly from the town auditor and the town accountant.
And if you recall, if it wasn't for my vote, you would be paying higher taxes today for the schools. It was my vote that forced the taxes to be reduced my final year on the school board.

-- Edited by Admin on Saturday 28th of March 2009 09:14:47 PM

Anonymous wrote:

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So the town auditer is WRONG.  Jim is right.  Just like on school board .  Run the sky is falling.  How about this for a question? what has four bodies and meets in a phone both .  The dems.  HAHA . 

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 If the Dems are so good at keeping track of money, maybe they can explain why taxes at the school used to go up like crazy every year.  Jim you were the School's Finance Chairperson so you have the data, correct?

Also, can you explain why the school had to lease everything that wasn't tied down?  These weren't new leases which would be valid.  These were leasing old things that had already been paid for once.

Now taxes stay the same as opposed to the past when taxes jumped every year.  Also, nothing ever got done in the old days.

Maybe rather than trying to run a campaign by being naysayers and bashing, you can come up with some positive new ideas which will help you get votes. 

Trying to do positive things will give your candidates a chance.  Bashing hasn't worked.  They keep coming in last place.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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So the town auditer is WRONG.  Jim is right.  Just like on school board .  Run the sky is falling.  How about this for a question? what has four bodies and meets in a phone both .  The dems.  HAHA . 

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 If the Dems are so good at keeping track of money, maybe they can explain why taxes at the school used to go up like crazy every year.  Jim you were the School's Finance Chairperson so you have the data, correct? The taxes at the school went up in our district, and most districts accross the state, because Jim McGreevey decided not to follow the funding laws of the State of NJ and flat funded our schools. This continued for 6 years. The difference was made up in our district, and most districts accross the state (except for Abbott districts), with local taxes.

Also, can you explain why the school had to lease everything that wasn't tied down?  These weren't new leases which would be valid.  These were leasing old things that had already been paid for once.
The only leases that were done while I was on the school board were for school busses ( which the current school board still leases at the direction of the Mayor's Fiscal Oversight Committee), lawn tractors, which cost almost the same as a school bus, the computers (that the previous board did not want to include in the referendum because they did not want to pay for 30 years on technology that would be obsolete after 5 years), and the theater curtains and sound system (which was to be paid off after the litigation over the site work was finalized). You mention items that were already paid for once. I believe you are refering to the text bokk lease which was done by the board after I left, and for which I would have voted NO. 
Now taxes stay the same as opposed to the past when taxes jumped every year.  Also, nothing ever got done in the old days. Gov Corzine has reworked the school funding laws and has sent our district a lot of money over the last 3 years to try and catch us up to the level the law says we should be receiving. And as for nothing getting done in the old days...are you nuts???? The board I was on built a $34 million project that included the ECEC and a State of the Art High School!!!!
 
Maybe rather than trying to run a campaign by being naysayers and bashing, you can come up with some positive new ideas which will help you get votes. Having a different point of view is not a negative thing. Why is it you believe that the only thing we can do is bow down to the current regime and agree with everything that comes out of their moths? Every difference of opinion we have voiced has been backed up with our opinion for a solution. We need to be more tolerant of each other and be willing to listen. That is what America has been built on. This is a Democracy!!! Any time we offer an alternative to a subject being discussed, the Deputy Mayor immediately labels us (and every one who dares question them) as naysayers and that needs to stop. It's called "open government", a government of and for the people. 

Trying to do positive things will give your candidates a chance.  Bashing hasn't worked.  They keep coming in last place. Maybe we haven't had the hundreds of thousands of dollars that Hammonton First has had to get their story out there. We have to find better ways to get our message to the people.

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Since when is debate wrong.  Since when is not agreeing with someone wrong.  Husbands disagree with their wives and children and parents disagree.  It does not mean people hate each other.  It means they see things differently.

I actually thing the real negative campaigning is the accusations of being negative.

by Ben Merritt

 

HAMMONTON -- Town officials unveiled a preliminary $12.2 million preliminary budget Mayor John DiDonato says will keep the town running in a fiscally responsible manner while keeping in mind the concerns of taxpayers.

Town Council is scheduled to formally introduce the budget at its April 27 meeting and likely will adopt the spending plan in late May.

"Everybody looked at the budget intensely," DiDonato said.

"I don't think the people struggling in this economy can afford to see their taxes raised, so we are doing everything we can to be as fiscally responsible as possible," he added. "We're still finalizing some odds and ends, but the budget we'll propose on April 27 will basically reflect a zero tax increase."

DiDonato called on council members to review the budgets of their respective departments over the next month to see if further modifications can be made.

The town's surplus has increased while its debt has been reduced, DiDonato said during last week's Town Council meeting. He credited a "fiscal model" developed in 2006 by the town's Fiscal Oversight Committee.

However, DiDonato cautioned, layoffs and furloughs remain a possibility if the town's fiscal situation warrants.

"This budget assumes that all council members and department heads will scrutinize every penny spent," he said. "This budget also reflects an attempt to retain current staffing.

"However, should by the middle of the year departments begin approaching levels near pro-rated appropriations or revenues begin not to bounce back, furloughs and/or layoffs will be needed to balance the budget."

Only one promotion -- that of a police sergeant -- will take place in 2009, DiDonato said. Overtime pay will be restricted to emergency personnel.

DiDonato noted the town's budget has been reduced over the past three years. Last year's municipal budget was $12.33 million, while the 2007 spending plan was $12.34 million.

"However, what we are seeing is a reduction in revenue," DiDonato said. "Our surplus is receiving less interest .... That was a substantial hit with interest rates going from 5 or 6 percent to 1 or 2 percent.

"We're also seeing less revenue coming into the town clerk's office, water and sewer accounts, all of the departments," he added.

 

Originally published April 1, 2009

Anonymous wrote:

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by Ben Merritt

 

HAMMONTON -- Town officials unveiled a preliminary $12.2 million preliminary budget Mayor John DiDonato says will keep the town running in a fiscally responsible manner while keeping in mind the concerns of taxpayers.

Town Council is scheduled to formally introduce the budget at its April 27 meeting and likely will adopt the spending plan in late May.

"Everybody looked at the budget intensely," DiDonato said.

"I don't think the people struggling in this economy can afford to see their taxes raised, so we are doing everything we can to be as fiscally responsible as possible," he added. "We're still finalizing some odds and ends, but the budget we'll propose on April 27 will basically reflect a zero tax increase."

DiDonato called on council members to review the budgets of their respective departments over the next month to see if further modifications can be made.

The town's surplus has increased while its debt has been reduced, DiDonato said during last week's Town Council meeting. He credited a "fiscal model" developed in 2006 by the town's Fiscal Oversight Committee.

However, DiDonato cautioned, layoffs and furloughs remain a possibility if the town's fiscal situation warrants.

"This budget assumes that all council members and department heads will scrutinize every penny spent," he said. "This budget also reflects an attempt to retain current staffing.

"However, should by the middle of the year departments begin approaching levels near pro-rated appropriations or revenues begin not to bounce back, furloughs and/or layoffs will be needed to balance the budget."

Only one promotion -- that of a police sergeant -- will take place in 2009, DiDonato said. Overtime pay will be restricted to emergency personnel.

DiDonato noted the town's budget has been reduced over the past three years. Last year's municipal budget was $12.33 million, while the 2007 spending plan was $12.34 million.

"However, what we are seeing is a reduction in revenue," DiDonato said. "Our surplus is receiving less interest .... That was a substantial hit with interest rates going from 5 or 6 percent to 1 or 2 percent.

"We're also seeing less revenue coming into the town clerk's office, water and sewer accounts, all of the departments," he added.

 

Originally published April 1, 2009

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People are reading the good news about keep spending and taxes down in Hammonton again this year in the Hammonton News.  I guess the naysayers will try anything to bash.

 

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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by Ben Merritt

 

HAMMONTON -- Town officials unveiled a preliminary $12.2 million preliminary budget Mayor John DiDonato says will keep the town running in a fiscally responsible manner while keeping in mind the concerns of taxpayers.

Town Council is scheduled to formally introduce the budget at its April 27 meeting and likely will adopt the spending plan in late May.

"Everybody looked at the budget intensely," DiDonato said.

"I don't think the people struggling in this economy can afford to see their taxes raised, so we are doing everything we can to be as fiscally responsible as possible," he added. "We're still finalizing some odds and ends, but the budget we'll propose on April 27 will basically reflect a zero tax increase."

DiDonato called on council members to review the budgets of their respective departments over the next month to see if further modifications can be made.

The town's surplus has increased while its debt has been reduced, DiDonato said during last week's Town Council meeting. He credited a "fiscal model" developed in 2006 by the town's Fiscal Oversight Committee.

However, DiDonato cautioned, layoffs and furloughs remain a possibility if the town's fiscal situation warrants.

"This budget assumes that all council members and department heads will scrutinize every penny spent," he said. "This budget also reflects an attempt to retain current staffing.

"However, should by the middle of the year departments begin approaching levels near pro-rated appropriations or revenues begin not to bounce back, furloughs and/or layoffs will be needed to balance the budget."

Only one promotion -- that of a police sergeant -- will take place in 2009, DiDonato said. Overtime pay will be restricted to emergency personnel.

DiDonato noted the town's budget has been reduced over the past three years. Last year's municipal budget was $12.33 million, while the 2007 spending plan was $12.34 million.

"However, what we are seeing is a reduction in revenue," DiDonato said. "Our surplus is receiving less interest .... That was a substantial hit with interest rates going from 5 or 6 percent to 1 or 2 percent.

"We're also seeing less revenue coming into the town clerk's office, water and sewer accounts, all of the departments," he added.

 

Originally published April 1, 2009

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People are reading the good news about keep spending and taxes down in Hammonton again this year in the Hammonton News.  I guess the naysayers will try anything to bash.

 

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 Before Mayor DiDonato, taxes at the school and town went up by huge amounts every year.  The school had huge deficits that were pointed out by the Superintendent. 

Now the town and school are in great financial shape, roads are getting paved, our surplus is increasing and the debt is going down.

Still, the people who always raised our taxes now need to say something to try to get back into power.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

---

 

Anonymous wrote:

---

by Ben Merritt

 

HAMMONTON -- Town officials unveiled a preliminary $12.2 million preliminary budget Mayor John DiDonato says will keep the town running in a fiscally responsible manner while keeping in mind the concerns of taxpayers.

Town Council is scheduled to formally introduce the budget at its April 27 meeting and likely will adopt the spending plan in late May.

"Everybody looked at the budget intensely," DiDonato said.

"I don't think the people struggling in this economy can afford to see their taxes raised, so we are doing everything we can to be as fiscally responsible as possible," he added. "We're still finalizing some odds and ends, but the budget we'll propose on April 27 will basically reflect a zero tax increase."

DiDonato called on council members to review the budgets of their respective departments over the next month to see if further modifications can be made.

The town's surplus has increased while its debt has been reduced, DiDonato said during last week's Town Council meeting. He credited a "fiscal model" developed in 2006 by the town's Fiscal Oversight Committee.

However, DiDonato cautioned, layoffs and furloughs remain a possibility if the town's fiscal situation warrants.

"This budget assumes that all council members and department heads will scrutinize every penny spent," he said. "This budget also reflects an attempt to retain current staffing.

"However, should by the middle of the year departments begin approaching levels near pro-rated appropriations or revenues begin not to bounce back, furloughs and/or layoffs will be needed to balance the budget."

Only one promotion -- that of a police sergeant -- will take place in 2009, DiDonato said. Overtime pay will be restricted to emergency personnel.

DiDonato noted the town's budget has been reduced over the past three years. Last year's municipal budget was $12.33 million, while the 2007 spending plan was $12.34 million.

"However, what we are seeing is a reduction in revenue," DiDonato said. "Our surplus is receiving less interest .... That was a substantial hit with interest rates going from 5 or 6 percent to 1 or 2 percent.

"We're also seeing less revenue coming into the town clerk's office, water and sewer accounts, all of the departments," he added.

 

Originally published April 1, 2009

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People are reading the good news about keep spending and taxes down in Hammonton again this year in the Hammonton News.  I guess the naysayers will try anything to bash.

 

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 Before Mayor DiDonato, taxes at the school and town went up by huge amounts every year.  The school had huge deficits that were pointed out by the Superintendent. 

Now the town and school are in great financial shape, roads are getting paved, our surplus is increasing and the debt is going down.

Still, the people who always raised our taxes now need to say something to try to get back into power.

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Channel 10 did a nice story on how things are better in Hammonton than other towns.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/business/A_Story_of_Revival_in_Downtown_Hammonton_Philadelphia.html