March 27, 2006   

Dear Neighbors, In this issue, you will find an update on what to expect in your August property tax bill, an update on Wal-Mart, an offer from the Superintendent of the Rancocas Valley High School, and some other interesting bits of information.    Property Tax Information:  There is some official and unofficial information from two of the four public entities that determine how much money we pay in property tax.  Lumberton Municipal Purpose:  The Lumberton Township Committee introduced a budget that cuts spending, but also includes a 2.5 cent increase in the local purpose property tax.   The township's 2006 budget is $537,300 less than the 2005 budget or 5.5% reduction.  The township's 2006 budget will also spend less than the township government spent in 2004.  The township committee reduced the size of the township work force by seven positions, cut discretionary spending and renegotiated  service contracts.  Prior budgets overstated non-tax revenues.  Non-tax revenues such as construction fees, grants, state aid, etc. decreased by over $850,000 in 2006.  The 2.5 cent increase equates to a $25 increase per year for each $100,000 of assessed value.  The municipal budget provides for emergency services (police, fire and ambulance), trash pick up, road, park and public building maintenance and various other miscellaneous services.   Lumberton Township Open Space Tax:  The Lumberton Township Open Space tax will decrease from 3 cents to 1 cent per $100 of assessed value.  Last November, the voters rejected a referendum to extend the tax.  The net saving is $20 per year for each $100,000 of assessed value.  The Lumberton Open Space Tax is a dedicated fund for purchasing land and/or development rights for open space and/or farmland preservation. Lumberton Board of Education: The local school board is planning on introducing the 2006/07 budget with a 1 cent tax increase.  This equates to a $10 per year increase for each $100,000 of assessed value. The Lumberton School Board's budget increases spending by $388,337 or 1.7% from 2005/06.  This budget assumes that state aid will remain flat again this year and was prepared before the Governor introduced his budget.  The Lumberton Board of Education budget provides education and education related services to Lumberton children in Pre-K through 8th grade.   The budgets and tax rates for the Rancocas Valley Regional School District and the Burlington County Board are still to be determined.  In general, the two school boards take approximately 70% of your tax dollars, the county taxes about 18%, and the Lumberton municipal government gets the remaining 12%.  Super Wal-Mart:   The Wal-Mart expansion to a Super Wal-Mart passed a major hurdle in February when the Land Development Board approved most of their variance requests.  Wal-Mart must still come before the board to get final approval of the plan.  The Land Development Board is requiring Wal-Mart to have larger parking spots than Wal-Mart requested.  As a result, Wal-Mart must reduce the size of the expansion to provide the required number of larger parking spots.  Wal-Mart also agreed to put in a 17 foot sound wall with significant landscaping between the expansion and the new townhouses in Country Estates.  Super Wal-Mart stores are the same as a regular Wal-Mart with the addition of a full supermarket grocery store. Correction - No Dirt (Yet): In January, I reported that Lumberton Township would be getting $80,000 in free dirt from a construction site in Mt. Laurel.  Unfortunately, the developer found a buyer for the dirt at the last minute.  So, Lumberton will not get any of this dirt.  The township is actively seeking other opportunities to get free dirt to level the land adjacent to the municipal center for additional recreation fields and to build a sledding hill.  Park Improvements:  On March 6th, the township committee approved approximately $20,000 in repairs and minor upgrades to the various neighborhood parks in town.  the improvements include a new, big slide and handicap access to the Freeman Park, a small toddler area for the Glenwood Park,  a new tilt-a-whirl for the County Village Park and some other minor changes.  The improvements are designed to address existing safety and legal issues. RV Coffee Clutches:  The Superintendent of the Rancocas Valley Regional High School has  offered to meet with groups of residents from Lumberton and the other sending districts to discuss issues, ideas and concerns with the Rancocas Valley Regional High School.  To learn more or schedule a "Coffee Clutch" with the Dr. Moskalski, you can contact Tanya Jackson at 267-0830 or tjackson@rvrhs.com. School Board Elections:  The Board of Education Elections are scheduled for Tuesday, April 18th.  The voters get to select four members for the Lumberton Board of Education, one member for the Rancocas Valley Board of Education and approve or reject the budgets for both school boards.  All Lumberton residents vote at the Ashbrook School.  Polls are open from 3:00-9:00 PM.   There are six candidates running for three 3 year terms on the Lumberton Board of Education:  Edward Bladt, Andy Churney, Carlo Cilbert, Dean Hammond, Mario Tommasi and Linda Thornton.   Betty Cella is running unopposed for an unexpired two year team on the Lumberton Board of Education. Edward Bladt is running unopposed for a three year term on the Rancocas Valley Regional School District. Community Calendar:  Here are some up coming events in the community.  More events are listed on the Lumberton Community Calendar.  As always, event schedules are subject to change. Easter Egg Hunt:  The annual Lumberton Easter Egg Hunt and Flashlight Egg Hunt will be held on Saturday, April 8th and Thursday evening, April 13th at the Village Green. Memorial Day Parade:  The annual Lumberton Memorial Day Parade will be held on Monday, May 29th at 1:00 PM.  The parade runs down Main Street starting at Bella Road and ends at the Village Green.   Community Yard Sale:  The Lumberton Historical Society's annual Community Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, June 3rd from 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM at the Village Green. GLBA Charity Golf Outing:  The Greater Lumberton Business Association (GLBA) will host a charity golf outing at the Golden Pheasant Golf Course on June 5th.  The event will benefit three local charities.  The deadline for registration is April 30th for participants and May 15th for sponsors.  For more information or to get a registration form, visit http://lumbertontwp.com/glba/2006_charity_golf_outing.pdf.    Summer Recreation:  The Lumberton summer recreation program will be held at Walther School beginning on June 26th and ending August 4th. The program will run from 8:30 am to 12:30pm.  For more information, visit, the township's web site at http://www.lumbertontwp.com/recreation/#summer_programs.  Farm Fair:  The Burlington County Farm Fair will be coming back to Lumberton again this year.  The dates are set for July 19th-22nd.  The parking arrangements are still to be determined. New Bike Helmet Law:  Effective March 1, 2006, New Jersey requires children under the age 17 to wear a protective helmet when bicycling, skateboarding or roller skating. The age limit was increased from 14 years to further reduce fatalities, which remain high within the older childhood population. Another New Law:  Effective June 1, 2006, New Jersey requires all operators of power boats over 12 feet in length to take a 8 hour boating safety class and pass a test.  The township is offering boating safety courses to boaters for a $50 fee.  For a schedule of classes, visit the township web site at http://www.lumbertontwp.com/recreation/#summer_programs.   As always, I hope you enjoyed this issue, and I appreciate your support.  Please continue to use the new features on the site - Community Calendar, Report a Street Light Out, Online Poll and Online Classified Ads.   Pat Delany Founder & Editor Lumberton E-News 122 Kingsbridge Drive Lumberton, NJ 08048 (609) 560-8045