Aspects of Livingston Township’s 2024 municipal budget were discussed during the Monday, June 24, Council conference meeting. The budget is expected to be introduced next month, likely during the July 18 meeting, and potentially passed on July 29, at the earliest. Details are expected to be fairly standard, but why is it taking until July of 2024 to pass the 2024 budget, when the town is bumping up against potential financial penalties for doing it so late in the year?
Prior to the COVID pandemic, budgets were typically passed in early spring, introduced sometime in March and typically passed by mid-April. We obviously understand why the budget was delayed during those early pandemic years. In 2020, the township was faced with once in a lifetime challenges without clear answers or directives. In 2021, officials were waiting to see how much federal relief funding the township would receive. The 2022 budget was passed in August of that year. In 2023, however, we appeared to finally be making progress in moving the budget passage back to a more appropriate time of the year; that annual budget was passed in May.
We hope this year’s delay is simply a “one-off,” caused by concerns outside of the township’s control. To wit, officials on Monday referenced that they were waiting to learn about federal and state grants and aid to finalize the budget expenditures. However, we believe that it is advantageous for the township to return the timing of the budget passage to the pre-pandemic schedule of early spring. Last year, it seemed like we were on our way to doing just that. So, why have we taken a two-month step back again this year? As things currently stand, we are passing budgets for years that are more than half completed already. This cannot be the most productive way to plan for the year’s expenses.
We know that putting together a budget is a challenging and time consuming task involving many parties and figureheads. But we strongly believe that it is a worthwhile effort to make our way back to the previous schedule in future years.
Summertime Safety
Summertime safety is about more than sunblock and lifeguards. This is the time of year when many in the community take family vacations and spend a bit more time out and about. As residents are enjoying the weather, attending social functions and traveling, we urge them to take time to think about ways to keep their home and property safe while they are gone.
We suggest that residents not announce when they are going away, even for a short trip, on Facebook or any other social media site. Do not post status updates about your vacation while you are still on vacation. We understand how hard this may be, but even just posting a photograph can give away your location, thanks to GPS-based locators embedded in some social media programs. Share the details and photos when you return; we promise that those post-vacation “likes” will count just as much. Announcing that you are out of town offers criminals ample notice about when and for how long your home may be empty. The West Essex Tribune purposely omits dates of upcoming weddings from engagement announcements for just this reason; publicizing the date that couples and many of their friends and family members will be attending the ceremony is not a smart idea.
Add to your “summertime safety” checklist the obvious things, such as remembering to lock doors and windows after letting in fresh summer air, turning on an alarm system if you have one, keeping the outside of your house well-lit and making sure that your house number is clearly visible from the street in case emergency personnel need to find your home.
For those leaving home for an extended period, the Livingston Police Department may also conduct vacant house checks for those who request it. Residents can either fill out the form at police headquarters or do so online and take it to the station. Each officer is given the list of vacant houses in their patrol district and, when they have time, they will stop by and check on the homes. More information on this process may be found at livingstonnj. org/273/Vacant-House-Information.
Keeping your vehicle safe, or simply keeping your vehicle, is another hot topic for the summer months, given the rash of thefts we have seen in recent years. Even though a car that has been parked in the sun for hours can be stifling, it is not a good idea to leave it running in the driveway. While it is an effective way to cool down the interior, it is also a wonderful opportunity for thieves to have easy access to your vehicle. This type of crime has become increasingly common in town over the last few years, yet it is one that is easily preventable.
