BY JIM BRUMM
For the Star-Ledger
South Brunswick's outside auditors, Ernst & Young, will conduct a full audit of the Fire Prevention Penalty Fund maintained by the township's fire marshal, Mayor Frank Gambatese told reporters following Tuesday night's township council meeting.
The council members supported the mayor's call for an audit during the meeting.
Among the things to be determined by the audit, Township Manager Barbara Sacks said, is the amount of fines and penalties collected by the fire marshal. Under state law, these monies are to be held in trust in the penalty fund.
Such collections have ranged from $25,000 to $50,000 a year over the past few years, she said.
The formal audit was triggered by Fire Marshal Robert J. Davidson's reluctance to provide data on the trust fund to the township council and the commissioners responsible for managing the township's three volunteer fire departments, Sacks said. Both are interested because the penalty fund is supposed to be used to help finance operations of the township's Fire Safety Bureau and the fire departments, with the actual disbursements determined by state laws controlling these funds.
Noting that those laws call for audits by the state's Department of Community Affairs, Sacks said part of the problem in South Brunswick was the lack of DCA audits in recent years, adding she and two fire commissioners had requested such audits since the beginning of the year.
Calling for the full audit, Gambatese cited a report on Davidson's spending from the trust fund in 2001, 2002 and the first three months of 2003 prepared by fire commissioner Charles Hoens, which was presented to the township council on July 15; and the fire marshal's response, presented at a July 30 special meeting of the Joint Uniform Fire Code Enforcement Board.
The board, made up of selected commissioners from all three South Brunswick fire districts, is chaired by Hoens, who posted a notice of the special meeting on July 16.
Basing his report on the township's computer ledger sheets and corresponding vouchers and related bills, Hoens questioned less than $2,000 of spending during the period, but said "the absence of an approved budget with oversight is a major defect" in the period studied.
Copyright 2003 NJ.com. All Rights Reserved.
BY JIM BRUMM
For the Star-Ledger
Members of the Woodbridge Township Council raised few questions last night as they began a line-by-line review of Mayor Frank Pelzman's $80.9 million fiscal 2004 budget proposal.
Pelzman formally introduced the budget at the first of two council workshops, pointing out that as difficult as last year was financially, this year was going to be worse because of $1.4 million in contractual salary increases and additional insurance costs of $2.5 million.
The hand-picked successor to Gov. James E. McGreevey, Pelzman cited the township's continued growth despite the poor economy, noting such new ratables as a new Hampton Inn and a Galyan's sporting goods store that will open this fall.
Confirming Woodbridge's Aa3 rating last week, the debt rating agency Moody's Investors Service said it expects the township to realize at least $1.9 million in new property tax revenue from these and other new projects, adding that there will be more coming on line in fiscal 2005.
While the confirmation removed Woodbridge from Moody's Watchlist, the agency said the outlook for the township is negative. Although early results from fiscal 2003 show a $1.2 million increase in the township's current fund balance to $6.1 million, this was "due to a significant amount of one-time sources" that included $3 million for a land sale, $3 million from the deferral of school taxes for six months, $500,000 from the sale of pension obligation bonds and $700,000 in extraordinary state aid, Moody's said.
Councilman Vincent Martino of the 3rd Ward, the Republican mayoral candidate, also had few questions as half of the township departments presented their budget proposals at the sparsely attended meeting, which was taped for later airing on TV35, Woodbridge's cable TV outlet.
A second workshop meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28. A public hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2.
Releasing its confirmation of Woodbridge's rating, Moody's said that if 2004 revenues are raised as proposed, the budget "should restore structural stability to township financial operations, due primarily to an 11.8 percent property tax rate increase." That increase is expected to result in an $80 tax increase for the average homeowner.
Copyright 2003 NJ.com. All Rights Reserved.
4 architects will vie to design new school
Thursday, September 11, 2003
BY JIM BRUMM
For the Star-Ledger
The four architects chosen to compete for a contract to design a new high school in Perth Amboy were introduced to the city and its school system yesterday in a daylong process that ended with a public meeting.
Describing Perth Amboy's effort as "the most important (architectural) competition being run at this time in the United States," school board adviser Ralph Lerner said the visit was the beginning of a conversation between the city and the architects.
The conversation will continue when the four architects return in two months with models and drawings of the high school they would like to design, project director Ellen Shoshkes said. Those proposals will be on display at the high school for a month to give residents "a once in a lifetime opportunity to get involved" in the design process.
The four architects -- Gabriel Feld of Cambridge, Mass.; John Ronan of Chicago; Sudhir S. Jambhekar of New York and Thom Mayne of Santa Monica, Calif. -- were selected by a panel composed of four internationally recognized architects, school board President Austin Gumbs and Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas.
Shoshkes said the jury is expected to select an architect in late December or early January, adding the most optimistic timetable for completion of the new school would be early in 2007.
The competition to select an architect makes Perth Amboy "unique" among the communities now building schools in New Jersey, Superintendent John Rodecker said, explaining the city had to get the permission of the state to conduct the competition.
He said state permission also was needed to proceed with a school designed to educate 3,000 students. The present high school, completed in 1972, was designed for 1,600 students but is used by about 2,000 students, Rodecker said.
Copyright 2003 NJ.com. All Rights Reserved.