With little fanfare, Camden Council passes city budget

Tuesday evening's hearing on Camden's $167 million fiscal 2012 budget drew only five residents. After just 30 minutes, City Council unanimously passed the budget.

The amended budget is about $9 million higher than the initial proposal, introduced in August, but lower than last year's $173 million budget. It also includes a 4 percent increase in the municipal property levy to $23.5 million.

Departments that saw some of the highest increases since the initial budget introduction include the Office of Parks and Open Space and the Health and Human Services Director's Office, both of which had their budgets increased by $400,000.

The additional money for the parks office will go toward retrofitting about 200 streetlights to address vandalism by copper and metal thieves, Finance Director Glynn Jones said.

Health and Human Services will use the additional money for after-school programs. "The mayor wants to have more programs for the youth," Jones said. He said he could not be more specific.

The Police Department budget was adjusted to show that the city will pay $30.1 million in salaries and wages through the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2012. The city had not budgeted the money earlier because it had hoped to enter an agreement by January with Camden County for a regionalized police force.

The unemployment fund dropped from $5.6 million to $3.2 million because more than 100 laid-off officers have been rehired and others have found employment elsewhere, Jones said.

Fire and police pension payments are expected to be $11.9 million, about $4.5 million less than initially calculated.

Last year's budget approval proved to be much more challenging. Following layoffs of more than 300 city and public service employees, Mayor Dana L. Redd proposed a 23 percent increase in the municipal tax levy. Residents packed Council chambers, and ultimately Council amended the budget to increase the levy by only 10 percent.

Though Gov. Christie threatens to cut off state aid, Camden has continued to receive the largest share of "transitional" aid. Last year it received $115 million in total aid.

This year, Camden received $108 million, or 65 percent of its budget.

In its 2012 transitional-aid application, the city projects raising the property-tax levy by 3 percent in each of the next three years. But even with the annual tax increments, the impoverished city would raise only $2 million more in local revenue by 2015.

Camden's reliance on state aid will continue until city officials can get more properties and businesses on the tax rolls. About 52 percent of properties in Camden do not pay taxes. Some of the tax-exempt are the usual churches, government buildings, and educational institutions, but some are businesses that negotiated a payment in lieu of taxes - a practice that draws criticism from homeowners.

Dividing the municipal levy among less than half of the city's property is a "a big burden" and "unfair" to residents and taxpayers, said Tom Rapacki Jr., one of the four residents who spoke Tuesday. He complained that too many nonprofits did not contribute to local tax revenue.

None of the council members asked questions before approving the budget. Council President Frank Moran said he expected city officials to start working on the fiscal 2013 budget soon.