With the township still missing guidelines from the state, specifically regarding the new 2 percent cap on property tax increases, township officials believe the governor will extend the 2011 budget submission deadline to mid-February.
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh said that usually on an annual basis, the state will offer all of its guidelines for the upcoming budget season in December so that municipal officials can prepare the budgets to be distributed in mid-January — a procedure set in statute.
“This year, though, in December, we got nothing from the state,” said Hsueh.
West Windsor officials followed up with state Department of Community Affairs officials, who indicated that Governor Chris Christie was going to extend the deadline to mid-February through an executive order.
This year’s situation is similar to last year’s, when the state failed to provide guidelines until mid-March, giving municipalities just a few days to have their budgets submitted to their governmental bodies for review.
“We are still waiting for guidance from the state,” said Hsueh.
*This article was posted on January 14, 2011.
