Linden's proposed tax increase draws ire of residents

Published: Thursday, July 22, 2010, 6:16 AM LINDEN — Linden residents voiced their rage Tuesday night at a proposed budget that includes a municipal property tax increase of almost 14 percent.

“If you have to have layoffs, whatever you need to do, you need to do it,” resident Kathleen Semek told the council. “It’s time to stop talking and do something.”

Linden’s proposed budget for this year will rise to $95 million, and the amount raised by taxes jumps from $42 million in 2009 to $48.6 million. That will work our to about a $344 increase for the average

homeowner.

Treasurer Alexis Zack told the city council that the amount raised by taxes rose in part due to a loss of $3 million in state funding.

Zack said that the budget also rose due to increases that are outside of the city’s control, such as the cost of paying down existing debt, and the cost of pension increases. Pension costs went up by about $3.6 million from 2009 to this year.

Labor costs for the city’s 625 employees are a central part of the city’s budget. All but about 100 of the workers are full time, and their wages and benefits amounted to $42 million this year, or almost half of the budget.

Residents at Tuesday night’s meeting lambasted the council and complained not only about the city’s increase, but that the council chopped only $100,000 from the school district’s $77 million budget after it was rejected by voters this spring.

“I am a disgruntled taxpayer,” said resident Joe Lindsay at the council presentation of the budget on Tuesday. “The taxpayers of Linden showed their displeasure by voting the school budget down.”

Lindsay said the money trimmed by the council from the school budget wasn’t enough for him to buy a coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts.

The council expects to adopt the budget next month.