Volunteers Have Cats Available For Adoption

purchase. Not to be combined with other offers.

JACKSON – Calling All Cats is a cat rescue group made up of volunteers, some of whom work at a spay and neuter clinic. People would drop off unwanted cats. As a group, they save the babies that are left alone, the countless mothers that have had numerous litters and those that are losing or have lost their home.

Meet Tiger. He is a sweet, playful and loving boy. He’s great with other cats and would love feline companionship. He is neutered, up to date on all medical and mi-

─Photo courtesy Calling All Cats crochipped.

To help humanely lower the feline population, they spay and neuter feral cats and then find homes for the friendly adults and the offspring that have been born. The rescue works extremely hard to find the best homes for cats of all shapes, sizes, colors and ages. While these cats wait, they are cared for in safe, loving, and nurturing foster homes

To start the application process, visit Calling All Cats on Facebook and Petfinder.com

2023 Spring Flea Market

JACKSON – Jackson Township Clean Communities is urging the public to come out and sell their unwanted items. The Township will discard any items not sold. This is a great way for organizations to raise funds, for vendors to sell their merchandise and for the public to reuse and repurpose rather than discarding your unwanted items. For browsers and buyers, remember… “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”

The 2023 Spring Flea Market will be on May 20 (rain date May 21) at Johnson Park. Vendor set up: 7 to 8:45 a.m.; open to the public: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fee: $10 per feet of space. Only food vendors holding a food retail license will be permitted to sell food. You must provide your own tables. Pre-Registration is not required. For more information, call Jackson Recreation at 732-928-1260.

Budget

: Continued From Page 1 we have fiscally responsible budgets to ensure that Jackson Township is always the best place to live, work and raise a family,” Wall said.

He said the average home is assessed at $330,688, and the increase in taxes would be $3.31. “If your home is accessed at two times that amount it would be $6.62 cents. The budget is available for a detailed review on the township website. Our doors are open and our phones are open to answer any questions you may have.”

“The budget is a year-round process. There is a cycle in introducing a budget and vetting it but we are always tracking the budget. What is encumbered - what is expended - and what is expected. It is not a perfect process. It is always a work in progress and you do your best with the fixed expenses that you know about and those that vary and those that are unanticipated,” Wall explained.

Wall explained that each municipal budget has two principal components, the operating budget and the capital budget. The budget is also organized into two expense categories, salary and wages and other expenses. Salary and wages represent the bulk of the financial impact (staffing, salaries, insurance funds). The spending plan must also balance out revenues and expenses.

A tax bill will also have the taxes for the county, school, fire districts and more. The budget presentation only pertains to the municipal portion.

The township’s tax collection department has an “exceptionally high tax ratio,” meaning that most of the people pay their taxes. Because the town still has to pay the schools and other entities, they have to budget money in case people don’t pay. “There is always a gap of what we get and what we are collecting and the amount of uncollected taxes is also estimated.”

Unlike the state and school districts which have a fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30, the township has a calendar year schedule which is January 1 to December 31. Once the governing body reorganizes in January the municipality has a temporary budget.

Wall said, “we are conservative in what we anticipate coming in. The municipalities that get themselves in trouble are those that pad their revenues, they are too excited about the amount of money that they see coming in. We are very conservative. We go by the low side of revenue to ensure that the budget lands professionally on time and hopefully under budget.”

Township miscellaneous revenue exceeded the budget totals by $2,428,225.95 in 2022. That was due to increases from fees from permits such as construction, and interests on investments. The unanticipated revenue was $1,064,567.23 which included funds from the solar farm lease ($120,000), tower rental, off duty surcharge tax collection and rental registration.

“We go over prior years and what was expended and what was expected,” Wall said. He noted that in the paving of roads, unlike other municipalities, instead of bonding for years, “we are paying in cash to fix your streets.”

Wall also said that public safety was the Council’s number one priority and was reflected in the budget through police, fire, emergency services and road improvement projects.

In addition to thanking the mayor and council for their support Wall thanked Chief Financial Officer Sharon Sharon Pinkava and Assistant Municipal Treasurer Patricia Schwark for their work.