Politics & Government

Council President Wants to Take a Close Look at Spending

Tsukamoto: Rein in taxes, upgrade infrastructure.

Madison, like most small municipalities across the state, is wrestling with basic questions as the year's budget process gets underway: How to improve aging infrastructure while keeping a rein on taxes.

New Borough Council President Jeannie Tsukamoto outlined her vision for how the governing body should proceed as it formulates new spending plans.

"In our first 2012 budget meeting in December, I urged the council to approach our budget differently this year by first setting budget goals," she said in an email interview with Patch.

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"I believe we should limit tax increases to under 2 percent without affecting quality services, appropriate a minimum of $500,000, preferably more, to the capital improvement fund and make infrastructure upgrade a top priority."

Tsukamoto was one of three council members who voted against the budget in 2011.

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"I believed we could have taken more actions to lower the tax increases and we should have budgeted for capital improvements, revaluation and tax appeals," she said.

Tsukamoto puts the basics at the top of the council's agenda.

"The most critical issue we must address immediately is the upgrade of our aging infrastructure, especially sewer and roads. We must address these urgent needs right away in our capital budget process," she said.

The process, she urged, can benefit from some changes.

"Instead of doing business as usual, I recommended to the governing body in December to issue Request For Proposals for all professional services. This will give us the opportunity to contract the best qualified professionals with the most competitive pricing. We must also re-evaluate all other contracts in a critical manner."

, the Joint Municipal Court in its first year saved Madison and its municipal partners nearly $500,000 in operating costs.

"We will continue to actively look for shared services opportunities with the , other towns, and public/private entities to lower our operating costs," Tsukamoto said.

Tsukamoto also has recommended enhanced planning across all borough departments, to improve productivity and accountability. She said she has been working with borough officials to implement a long-sought process for objective-based employee performance reviews and merit-based salary increases, and hopes to have a new process implemented in January.

Tsukamoto, who is the body's technology liaison, wants to use technology to improve efficiencies and communications within the borough and with the public.

"We will also continue our efforts on the automation of our utility metering, billing and collection process to lower costs and make dynamic billing a reality to enhance revenue," she said.

While the borough partners with the BOE on redevelopment of the Green Village Road School property, Tsukamoto said Madison "must pursue additional ratables to help lower taxpayers’ burden. We should sell surplus borough properties and turn them into ratables.

"I hope to continue our economic development efforts to build additional transit-oriented development and to help fill commercial and retail vacancies."


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