Tuesday, April 23, 2013
However, Lawrence experienced second largest average tax hike in Mercer County.
An increase to Lawrence homeowner taxes was well above the state average last year, but the total tax bill was slightly below the state average as New Jersey finally experienced long awaited tax relief in 2012. Lawrence's average total tax bill was $7,259.92 last year, which remained below the state average of $7,870.28. However, Lawrence taxes experienced a 4.3 percent bump, larger than the statewide average increase of 1.7 percent, according to Star-Ledger analysis. Property taxes statewide rose 2.4 percent in 2011, the first year Gov. Chris Christie’s 2 percent cap was in effect, according to the Ledger. But the trend of lower increases could be reversed because of Hurricane Sandy, according to the report. The statewide 1.7 percent …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Lawrence Township's $43 million spending plan for 2013 was formally introduced by township council on Tuesday. A public hearing on the budget will now take place on April 16.
- GOVERNMENT
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Thursday, March 21
Lawrence Township’s 2013 municipal budget, which calls for a 5-cent municipal tax rate increase, was formally introduced through a resolution approved by members of Lawrence Township Council at their meeting Tuesday evening (March 19). A public hearing on the $43,017,614 municipal spending plan has been scheduled to take place on April 16 before council members vote whether or not to formally adopt the budget. A copy of the budget, as introduced Tuesday, is available from the township’s website and the Patch media box to the right. Also available in the media box to the right is a document that was distributed at the meeting showing various changes in revenues and appropriations between the introduced budget and the recommended budget that…
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The next meeting of Lawrence Township Council will take place at 6:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, March 19. The meeting's agenda is presented here for review.
- GOVERNMENT
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Tuesday, March 19
The next meeting of Lawrence Township Council will take place today, Tuesday, March 19, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal building at 2207 Lawrence Rd. (Route 206). The meeting agenda and Township Manager Richard Krawczun’s traditional pre-meeting memo are available from the township’s website and the Patch media box to the right. Fifteen resolutions – including one authorizing the introduction of the 2013 municipal budget – are scheduled for action by township council, according to the agenda. One bid award (for the repaving of Bunker Hill Road) and two ordinance introductions are also scheduled. One of those ordinances, if approved at a subsequent council meeting, will change the zoning designation for a 37-acre parcel located …
Monday, March 11, 2013
Township Manager Richard Krawczun recently gave a presentation showing that of every tax dollar paid by Lawrence Township property owners, only 21 cents go to the township, while the school district gets 52 cents and the county gets the remaining 27 cents
In the five-year period from 2008 to 2012, Lawrence Township paid out a total of $7.8 million in cash refunds and credits to property owners who successfully appealed their tax assessments, despite the fact that the township’s share of those refunds and credits should really only have been $1.6 million. In a perfect world, the other $6.2 million would have been paid out by the Lawrence Township public school district and the Mercer County government. Instead, thanks to archaic state laws, the full burden of issuing those refunds and credits fell to the township. While the township did receive some reimbursement in the form of credit in successive years for the county’s share ($2.1 million), the township received none of the remaining $4.1 …
Monday, March 4, 2013
Lawrence Township Council will meet tomorrow, Tuesday, March 5, starting at 6:30 p.m. The meeting's agenda and the township manager's traditional pre-meeting memo are presented here for review.
- GOVERNMENT
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Monday, March 4
The next meeting of Lawrence Township Council will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, March 5, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal building at 2207 Lawrence Rd. (Route 206). The meeting agenda and Township Manager Richard Krawczun’s traditional pre-meeting memo are available from the township’s website and the Patch media box to the right. According to those documents, discussion of the recommended 2013 municipal budget will continue, and council will vote whether to adopt two ordinances concerning the sale of township-owned land and approve the awarding of a bid for the purchase of a new street sweeper for $266,760. Funding for the purchase of the street sweeper would come from the 2012 capital improvement program and Clean Community grant…
Friday, March 1, 2013
Appearing before the Mercer Board of Chosen Freeholders, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes on Thursday presented an overview of his administration’s proposed $294 million spending plan for 2013.
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, March 1
Editor's Note: The following news release was issued by the Mercer County administration. Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes presented on Feb. 28 an overview of his administration’s annual proposed budget, a $294 million plan that seeks to limit spending while maintaining services. The proposed budget, which now will be reviewed by the freeholder board for its approval and adoption, stays within the mandated 2-percent cap. Hughes told the Board of Chosen Freeholders during the Feb. 28 presentation at the county’s McDade Administration Building that rising health benefits costs, fuel costs and insurance premiums, along with money expended toward the cleanup of Hurricane Sandy that hasn’t been reimbursed, all have put a squeeze on the …
Friday, February 8, 2013
The 5-cent increase to the municipal tax rate is needed to pay for cash refunds and to make up for the loss of revenue caused by successful tax appeals by Lawrence Township property owners, township council was told earlier this week.
Cash refunds that must be paid out and the substantial decrease to the township’s tax base that have resulted from successful appeals of their tax assessments by property owners will drain $1.25 million from Lawrence Township this year and, in turn, are responsible for the 5-cent increase to the municipal tax rate that Township Manager Richard Krawczun has included in his recommended 2013 municipal budget, Krawczun told members of Lawrence Township Council earlier this week. Following up the presentation concerning the 2013 recommended budget he made to council on Jan. 22, Krawczun used the manager’s report segment of Tuesday evening’s (Feb. 5) meeting to discuss the “revenue side” of the budget. Using a PowerPoint slideshow (a copy of …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Lawrence Township Council will meet today, Tuesday, Feb. 5, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The meeting's agenda and the township manager's traditional pre-meeting memo are presented here for review.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Tuesday, February 5
The next meeting of Lawrence Township Council will take place today, Tuesday, Feb. 5, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal building at 2207 Lawrence Rd. (Route 206). The meeting agenda and Township Manager Richard Krawczun’s traditional pre-meeting memo are available from the township’s website and the Patch media box to the right. According to those documents, discussion of the 2013 municipal budget will take place, with the respective heads of the township’s health, public works and recreation departments scheduled to make budget request presentations to council. Council is also expected to make an appointment to fill the vacancy on the Zoning Board of Adjustment that was created when zoning board chairman Stephen Brame was appointed …
Monday, February 4, 2013
From two locations in Lawrence Township, the United Way of Greater Mercer County will offer free tax preparation services to individuals and families earning under $50,000.
Editor's Note: The following is a news release issued by the United Way of Greater Mercer County. For the second year, United Way of Greater Mercer County (“UWGMC”) will open the United Financial Empowerment Center (“FEC”) offering free tax prep for individuals and families earning under $50,000 as well as Financial Information workshops. To better serve the community, the FEC will offer expanded hours at two locations. Starting Feb. 5, 2013, the FEC will continue at the Princeton Corporate Park Office Complex at 3131 Princeton Pike in Lawrence Township with hours on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Starting Feb. 11, a second site is included at the Crossroads Corporate Center, 3150 Brunswick Pike, …
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Also during Tuesday's Lawrence Township Council meeting, Stephen Brame was selected to fill a vacant seat on council and the township manager presented his recommended 2013 budget, which includes a 5 cent increase to the municipal tax rate.
Privatization of Lawrence Township’s police/911 emergency dispatching operations has been approved by township council. As a result of a contract awarded by council during its meeting held earlier this evening (Tuesday, Jan. 22), Cranbury-based iXP Corporation will begin staffing the communications center at the township police station on April 1. The contract will run for two years, with the township having the option to award one three-year extension. Other significant news coming out of tonight’s meeting include the appointment of zoning board chairman Stephen Brame to fill the vacancy on township council that was created when Greg Puliti resigned on Dec. 31; the announcement by Township Manager Richard Krawczun that the recently-…
BOB LECH
5:18 pm on Monday, April 29, 2013
grill master, It may take only one second to lock the car but it just takes a pillow and a hammer to unlock it. Some times you eat the bear and some times the bear eats you. Robbery is like drugs and there will never be an end to it. more ›