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(Average = $324,000)
No one would be laid off under the budget that Donovan first presented to the freeholders during a work session in Hackensack this afternoon.
In fact, more government jobs will be created: $2.7 million allocated in the proposed spending plan would go toward salaries and benefits for staff members of the county’s new Juvenile Detention Center, a $28 million facility in Teterboro due to open later this year.
“We are looking at ways to lower the costs for personnel at the JDC and we will report on that as information becomes available,” said Donovan, who inherited what she called a “Taj Mahal” when she was elected more than two years ago.
Bergen Community College will also get $1.8 million more than last year from the county.
An open question remains over the effect of changes to county law enforcement that Prosecutor John L. Molinelli today exclusively told CLIFFVIEW PILOT he is making.
One involves creating a regional SWAT team under the direction of the sheriff’s office, while another splits duties for K9 teams between the sheriff’s office and the Bergen County Police Department, in an effort to reduce costs of the current duplication of services.
SEE: Molinelli putting county sheriff in charge of regional SWAT, splitting K-9 duties
While keeping the sheriff’s office at the same level as last year, Donovan proposed boosting the county Department of Law and Public Safety Department – which includes the BCPD — by nearly 6 percent.
Overall, Donovan said she sought to “limit discretionary spending while battling a sluggish economy and spending increases outside the control of county government” through the proposed $505 million spending plan.
“This budget reflects the difficult economic climate we are all struggling through,” she said. “There is no fluff in this budget and no gimmicky one shot revenue items. It reflects the county’s obligation to provide quality services in as cost efficient a manner as possible.”
With economic growth “modest,” Donovan said, new sources of county tax revenue are scarce.
While the proposed spending plan is up $18.17 million over last year, Donovan said the tax levy increase would be just below $15 million.
“I am pleased once again to keep my promise to the people of Bergen County and hold the average annual tax increase below the rate of inflation, while continuing to provide the highest quality of services which our residents have come to expect,” the county executive said.
She and County Administrator Ed Trawinski cited examples of spending increases “beyond the reach of the administration” that include an additional $2.5 million for insurance — with a $1.15 million hike in health insurance and a $713,000 increase in prescription benefit insurance taking a huge bite.
Those numbers represent a 2.75 percent increase in medical coverage and a 4 percent increase in prescription coverage under the county’s self-insurance plan, they said: Under the state Health Benefits Plan, the increases would have been 9 percent for health benefits and 6.4 percent for prescription coverage.
Donovan said the previous administration “borrowed money to run the daily operations of this county and those notes are now due to the tune of $1.2 million this year and for the next 7 years,” boosting debt service. “These are the types of gimmicks that have not and will not happen in my administration,” she said.
At the same time, her proposed budget includes paying off improvements to Overpeck Park.
CLIFFVIEW PILOT PHOTOS (Executive Kathleen Donovan, Freeholder Chairman David Ganz): Mary K. Miraglia
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