Commissioners approve 3.5 percent cap bank

Budget. The Sussex County Commissioners on Feb. 9. unanimously approved establishing a cap bank up to 3.5 percent above last year’s appropriation budget.

Commissioners Director Anthony Fasano said the county has no desire to increase the budget by 3.5 percent, but reiterated Commissioner Dawn Fantasia’s point from the previous meeting that the cap bank is a tool to be used only in case of an emergency.

“If a building were to go on fire, and if the county needed this type of tool, it would be available,” Fasano said. “That’s what we’re voting on.”

The commissioners had scheduled a budget meeting for Wednesday, as this paper goes to press, to get a first look at the proposed spending plan.

County Administrator Gregory Poff said he was pleased with the progress made so far.

“You know how voluminous the effort is,” Poff said. “A lot of hard work has gone into it, and we’re looking forward to being able to present that to the board and public next week.”

When lawmakers and Gov. Chris Christie passed the 2 percent “hard-cap” law in 2010, it allowed a “banked cap” for any municipality or school budget that increased by less than 2 percent the previous year. If this is the case, the municipality or school can exceed the 2 percent budget cap by the same amount in the following year without first holding a vote.