Town's State Aid Remains Flat

State aid to Westfield’s town government remains flat for 2011, consistent with plans announced by Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday.

Documents released late Wednesday by the state Department of Community Affairs showed that Westfield’s state aid will remain at $3,073,326 for the coming year, with the distribution of the aid changing from last year. The flat aid comes a year after the town saw an over $900,000 cut in the state aid amount.

During his to the state legislature on Tuesday, Christie announced that state aid to municipalities would be remaining flat. He said this would allow local government leaders to write new budgets in compliance with the new 2-percent property tax cap. In the budget address, the governor also outlined plans to provide property tax relief for seniors, the disabled and those making less than $75,000 if the legislature passes Christie’s public employee health benefits reform plan.

The DCA documents on Westfield’s state aid show that the town’s consolidated municipal property tax relief dropped from $529,527 to $469,890, while the town’s total energy tax receipts distribution increased from $2,543,799 to $2,603,436. The numbers equal the same total state aid for Westfield and can be applied to the same purposes.

, Christie’s budget cut the town’s state aid by $941,470, or almost 25-percent from the 2009 aid of $4,014,796. The aid cut came as Christie was cutting state aid to school districts and local governments statewide.

Last year’s state aid cut led to town budget cuts, including a salary freeze for town employees, the of the town Department of Human Services the county government and reducing custodial services in the Municipal Building.

Councilman Mark Ciarrocca, chairman of the finance committee, has warned that this year’s budget process is likely to be as difficult as last years, due to the property tax cap taking effect. The finance committee has been meeting regularly since the adoption of last year’s budget to start drafting the 2011 budget.

The local government aid figures came out after state education aid figures show the Board of Education , or 200-percent, increase from last year. The school aid numbers come a year after the state cut aid to Westfield schools by $4.22 million, or 90.4-percent, from the previous year.