Temporary Budget Passed

The Edison Municipal Council has passed a temporary budget for the remainder of 2009 to allow appropriations to keep the city running.  See this article. 

The final 2010 budget will come up for a vote some time in August or September.

The budget passed by a vote of 4-3.  Council members Griffin-Ussak, Mascola, Perilstein, and Prassad voted in favor.  They ran on the Choi ticket in their last election cycle. 

Council members Ricigliano, Diehl, and Massaro, who all ran together on the Ricigliano ticket last June, voted against the budget.  They argued that the budget needs to be reviewed on a monthly basis, rather than every three months as the temporary budget plan calls for. 

Township Chief Financial Officer Mark Acker advised that a monthly review would put the township into "emergency mode."  

The Mayor's office contends that Edison faces a budget deficit of 8.4 million.  Mayor Choi is seeking to make up 5.3 million of that amount through monthly furloughs and wage freezes for township employees.  The Mayor has warned that if the township's unions do not comply with the wage freeze and furloughs, municipal employees will be facing layoffs beginning July 16th.

Township business adminstrator Anthony Cancro reported that about half of the Township's unions have responded.  Some have offered creative cost-cutting proposals of their own, he said.  Mr. Cancro stated he remains hopeful that an alternative to a wage freeze and furloughs may be found. 

The police and firefighter unions are resisting the Mayor's call for a wage freeze and furloughs.  They have hired their own accountants to study the Township's finances and seek an alternative solution. 

Edison's 2010 Budget Proposal

Mayor Choi has released the township's proposed budget for next year, see this article. 

The mayor reports that the recession has taken it's toll here just as it has everwhere else.  Money raised by taxes is projected to be down by 2.6 million dollars from last year.  At the same time, operating costs are expected to rise by 5.8 million dollars.  That comes to a 8.4 million dollar deficit for next year. 

The mayor has recommended that municipal employees agree to a wage freeze and 12 day furlough program (take one day off per month without pay, as state employees have been doing).  Otherwise layoffs of dozens of municipal jobs will be necessary to help make up the shortfall, he stated. 

Updates on Issues Raised by 25th District Residents

See our page Issues of Concern for the 25th District for some updates on concerns raised by residents. 

"I brought everybody together," claims Paterniti

According to an interview on myCentralJersey.com, longtime Democratic party boss Thomas Paterniti claims Edison's fractured Democratic party is coming together under his leadership. 

If so, it was hard to tell from the last Municipal Council meeting.  The feelings of Ricigliano and Choi supporters appear to still be running at a fever pitch.

Mayor Choi and Councilwoman Ricigliano share their reflections about the race in this Star Ledger article. 

You can follow all the latest news articles about the fallout from the primary election in our website's section Edison News.  

And feel free to comment about the continuing strife between the two camps in this article of the Peterson Report.