LINDEN – Seven of 11 members of Linden’s City Council voted against the municipal budget this week. The $48.6 million spending plan called for a $344 tax increase for the average city homeowner, a 14 percent hike in the municipal property tax.
It wasn’t immediately clear what would happen next, although it’s possible the state could step in to impose a budget.
According to Mayor Richard Gerbounka, 68 percent of the city’s budget expenses are personnel-related. It’s too late in the year to save money through employee furloughs or layoffs, because civil service rules require 105 days of notice before such actions can be implemented.
