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out of the cap. We stayed at 2% without the exclusions. We added Police and services and I’m very happy with it.

COUNCILWOMAN UPDEGRAVE - agrees with the comments made by Councilman Calogero. It’s amazing you were able to keep the exceptions in there and stay under the 2%. Very good job.

COUNCILMAN MARTIN – I spoke to the Administrator this morning about this and we’re finally building our surplus. The economy is helping a little bit and the fiscal responsibilities have been put in place over the last several years. Other towns say we’re not raising taxes but are bleeding their surplus to do it; we’re not doing that. I commend you for a job well done and Ms. Pinkava and her entire department.

COUNCILMAN BRESSI – stated he concurs with the wonderful comments about the budget and our Administrator and Finance Department. Yes, I do disagree with the COLA and haven’t voted for it yet in my life. Everything is within the 2% and it’s key that we’re building a surplus.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT NIXON – A number of important issues were raised an increase of $596,638.78 in the levy in which $344,000 of that is dictated by the State of New Jersey. Retirements are payments into the State retirement funds and for the health benefits plan, you get a bill from the State and you can’t say you’re not paying for it. 57% of the increase is State mandated and we can’t do anything about it. State Aid has been frozen for so long that the type of allowances we should be getting from the State based on monies we’re sending to Trenton. Some things should be coming back to municipalities and it doesn’t and that is a problem that the leadership in Trenton has to address. Looking at the surplus issue, other towns raid it in order not to increase. To say we are only spending 57% of that surplus as opposed to 95% six years ago is fiscally conservative. When you look at all we’ve done to expand services and increase our services to a more customer friendly form of government under the Administrator, we’re heading in the right direction. With Councilman Bressi’s point of more ratables in the town in the right places is the way to offset that number and we have to do a better job. I believe we are doing that. I look forward to the discussion and thank you for the presentation.

MOTION TO APPROVE BUDGET INTRODUCTION RESOLUTION 140R-16 ON FIRST READING, ADVERTISE THE APPROVAL, SYNOPSIS AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD APRIL 26, 2016 BY: BRESSI MOTION SECONDED BY: MARTIN YES: CALOGERO, MARTIN, UPDEGRAVE, BRESSI, NIXON