New Medford council readies for the future

Facing an enormous budget shortfall in the coming year, Medford residents could very well see a tax increase sometime soon.

And in the coming year, the town will be led by a new mayor, James “Randy” Pace, who may have to make the unenviable decision to raise the township’s taxes.

[caption id=”attachment_23468" align=”alignleft” width=”300" caption=”New Councilman Chris Buoni is sworn in. Buoni is one of five new members on council.”]

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Pace was selected mayor by council and new Councilman Frank Czekay was made deputy mayor.

But it was new Councilman Chris Buoni who tackled the dire financial straits the township faces.

“Raising taxes isn’t off the table,” Buoni said at the recent reorganization meeting. “One of the things we were very careful about when we knocked on doors –we made campaign promises — (but) we never promised anyone we wouldn’t raise taxes.”

But, Buoni said, raising taxes would be a last resort.

“As a very conservative man, the concept of raising taxes is anathema to me,” he said. “However, it’s a realistic possibility.

“We are in a financially impossible situation right now. We are in desperate straits.”

He said there is a $21 million budget with only $17 million to pay for it.

“The fact is we’ve got to make up that gap somehow,” he said.

“The residents are going to experience cuts in service,” Buoni said. “We’re going to have to further reduce services because we don’t have the money.”

The councilman said he was nervous at his first meeting, but hopes he settles in soon.

“The one thing I can tell you is, I feel good about my town,” he said. “I believe that we’re going to take the steps to move in the right direction. We’re going to stamp out every bit of waste that we have.”

Buoni also voted along with all of the other new councilmen in appointing Charles Watson as the replacement for former Mayor Chris Myers, who resigned last month amid scandal.

Because the other two candidates who were nominated to replace Myers — Charles Clancy and Ann Davidson — had ties to the school board, Buoni felt uncomfortable because of possible conflicts of interest.

“The choice needed to be Chuck Watson,” Buoni said,

The three names were submitted by the Medford Township Republican Committee.

“I’m humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve the town that I was born and raised in and raised my children in,” Watson said. “I look forward to working together with the four councilmen and making a difference in Medford.”

Watson agreed the township’s finances are the main issue moving forward.

“It’s a big problem and there’s a lot that has to be looked at,” Watson said, noting he wants to look at the budget line by line to reduce expenditures by negotiating with employees.

“I don’t like to raise taxes, (I) don’t want to raise taxes (but we) certainly can’t rule it out,” he said.