Police, firefighter funding added to Camden budget

Camden City Council adopted a resolution Thursday to amend the municipal budget for the current fiscal year in light of new revenue.

Now included in the spending plan is a $5.1 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency; a $4.4 million Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant; and a $2.5 million payment in lieu of taxes from the South Jersey Port Corp., a quasi-state agency, that was released to the city this month through an agreement with the Christie administration. The funds will go to rehire at least 60 recently laid off public safety personnel.

In February, Council voted down Mayor Dana L. Redd's $163 million proposed amended budget, which included a 23 percent increase in the property-tax levy to rehire 47 laid-off police officers and 13 firefighters.

Council President Frank Moran took the position that grant money should pay for the rehirings. However, Council's budget still increased the property-tax levy 9.9 percent.

The $173 million budget will go before Council for final approval after a public hearing Tuesday night.   - Claudia Vargas