Yaede to Council: Inexperienced and Deceptive Budgeting Jeopardizing Hamilton Township

In response to the Hamilton Township Council’s amendments to the 2018 Municipal Budget, where the majority of the Council has decided to increase spending and use budgetary gimmicks to artificially lower the tax rate, Mayor Kelly Yaede made the following comments:

“The Township Council has decided to use ‘budget gimmicks’ and ‘smoke and mirrors’ accounting to amend the Municipal Budget.  At best, it illustrates their inexperience in municipal finances.  At worst, it represents deceptive and disingenuous tactics that mortgage our financial future on the backs of our hardworking taxpayers, especially when the bills come duetomorrow.  

“When I proposed a budget; I proposed an honest and fiscally sound budget, of which, the Township Council not only agrees with our frugal spending policies, but has actually increased overall spending. 

“Instead making tough choices today – the Council majority has decided to spend more, grab surplus funds that might not be there tomorrow, use an accounting gimmick ‘anticipate’ the collection more tax revenue, in order to bankroll their increased spending and an artificially lower the tax rate.

Facts about Township Council’s budget amendments:

ü  Increases spending (above Mayor Yaede’s proposed budget)

ü  Biggest budget ‘change’ is an accounting gimmick – ‘anticipating’ additional future tax collections

ü  Cuts proposed future projects instead of cutting actual spending – including road repair projects, sewer projects and other infrastructure repairs

ü  Borrows more surplus (beyond Mayor Yaede’s proposed budget)

ü  Line item cuts included an opioid/substance abuse program for our school children that seeks to prevent overdose — and cuts to senior transportation assistance

ü  Instead of providing additional school security to our public elementary schools – some of which have upwards of 300 school children – Council will place a school resource officer at a program site that serves fewer than 70 students who were removed from our three public high schools

ü  Validates Mayor Yaede’s proposal to add two additional Police Officers “on the streets”

“Some of the Council members have thrown around comments about debt, but what they are actually talking about is payments for needed road repairs, needed sewer system repairs and other public infrastructure needs.  Couple with slight-of-hand accounting maneuvers, surplus gimmicks and increased spending, their decision to mortgage the future will actually jeopardize it – and possibly our credit rating.  That means fewer road repairs and fewer sewer repairs.  I, for one, do not want our sewer infrastructure to dubiously rival Trenton Water Works’ infrastructure. 

“Unfortunately, the Township Council will have the votes to pass this gimmicky budget no matter what.  That is the democratic process.  And our government must enact a budget – even if I disagree with it.  While I disagree with these one-shot budget gimmicks, as Mayor, I will work to clean up their mess when the Council’s gimmicks run out next year.”   

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