Westville: Without State Aid Borough Taxes Will Increase

By Sara Martino

NEWS Correspondent

Westville is one of the municipalities that, so far, will not receive any discretionary state aid.

  "We have lost $250,000 in state aid this year," Borough Administrator William Bittner said during the recent Borough Council meeting, where the 2008 municipal budget of $4.5 million was approved.

  Property owners will see an increase of 28 cents per $100 of assessed value in the local tax rate.

  Resident Virginia Horn asked if there were any efforts to cut the budget.

  Council members said the budget will be gone over line by line item to find if there can be any cuts.

  Bittner said that if the state does decide to give Westville extraordinary aid, there would not be any increase in the local tax.

  Representatives from the Gateway Regional High School (GRHS) and the Parkview Elementary Sch-ool, addressed the governing body explaining their proposed budgets.

  Joyce Stumpo, superintendent of the high school, said an increase of 17 cents per $100 of assessed value in Westville would be necessary to incorporate the necessities demanded by the education process for the students.

  Westville voters voted 118 yes and 118 no on the budget. In other districts sending students to GRHS, Wenonah, National Park, Woodbury Heights voters defeated the $8,222,125 general fund allocation.

  Parkview School representatives told the governing body that there would not be an increase in the local school tax year. On Tuesday, April 15, in a very low turnout, voters approved (151 to 96) the $1,635,551 general fund allocation.

  For the average property owner, the taxes will remain at $977 per year, the same as last year's tax.                         

  Council discussed a Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) for the age and income restricted proposed senior complex on Broadway. Borough officials said the builders of the $6 million improvement offered $16,000 per year instead of paying taxes, but the Borough asked for, and will receive, $89,000 with increases over 15 years.

  Council President Russell Welsh, sitting in for Mayor Michael Galbraith, startled the audience just prior to the adjournment, with notice that Fieldstone, Associates would be pulling out from their proposed "The Cove" project, citing financial difficulties and the serious housing situation.

  According to sources and an email, the redevelopment committee had met with Fieldstone's representatives on Tuesday when the redeveloper's reasons for the cancellation of the project were explained.

  The rest of the Council members did not learn of the development news until just prior to the Wednesday council meeting.