Budget approved, Tinton Falls opens new boro hall
BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer

TINTON FALLS - With the passage of the municipal budget last week, the municipal piece of the tax-rate puzzle dropped into place. And the council said goodbye to their old meeting room.

The council voted unanimously to hold taxes at last year's rate by using a small percentage of the surplus.

The $19,920,819 spending plan was trimmed to $19,916,088, thereby reducing the proposed 2.3 percent increase over last year's budget of $19,516,865.

The passage of the flat tax budget is a welcome relief after last year when residents saw a 27 percent increase in their tax rate. When the 2006 budget was introduced, Mayor Peter Maclearie blamed, in part, the prior administration's decision to utilize over 94 percent of the existing surplus, which led to increased taxes in order to stabilize future budgets.

Councilman Michael Skudera said this year residents deserve a break because other variables that affect the tax bite, namely school and county taxes are going up.

Chief Finance Director Stephen Pfeffer said on Friday that he doesn't have the county levy yet so the total amount of the tax rate is not available. It will be available in about two weeks, he said.

Approval of the 2007 spending plan on May 15 was one of the last pieces of borough business completed in the old courtroom. The next meeting, on June 5 will be held in the impressive new building on Tinton Avenue.

To mark leaving the old building behind, longtime resident Eddie Briedenbach gave Borough Clerk Karen Mount-Taylor the clock that used to hang in the old courtroom.

According to council President Brendan Tobin, Briedenbach and his wife gave it to the borough when the new brick section of the borough hall was dedicated over 21 years ago.

"It needed some upgrading over the years, cleaning, repairs and the like, so he took it to be repaired and another clock went up in its place," Tobin said.

He said Briedenbach is an active member of the Tinton Falls community.

"He was at Pearl Harbor with the Navy in 1941 and he's still active with the fire department today. I've been inside burning buildings with this guy and he has held his own. He's unreal," Tobin said.

In addition, Briedenbach is the person who ran the borough's Memorial Day ceremony for years, only giving up the reins this year. He is also involved with the Tin Can Sailors, a Naval group of destroyer vets and has a WWII Shore Patrol Jeep that he brings out on Memorial Day to the Village Green.

Tobin said everyone seems to be happy with their new offices. He added that they plan to hold an open house once all of the furniture is delivered and the paving is done.