RED BANK: BUDGET & TAX ON AGENDA

Jun 22, 2022

A chart used in a budget presentation last week shows a tax increase of just $5.03 for the year for the owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $469,876. (Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

The owner of a typical Red Bank home would pay just $5 more in local property taxes under the 2022 budget up for adoption Wednesday night, according to Councilwoman Angela Mirandi.

On the flip side, the average residential valuation on which the tax will be applied is up 16 percent in the past year, said Mirandi, who heads the council’s finance committee.

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June 22, 2022 - 7:42 am |

FAIR HAVEN: COUNCIL TO MEET IN-PERSON

Jun 25, 2021

A view of the Fair Haven council chamber in 2017. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

After 15 months of meeting via technology, the Fair Haven mayor and council plan to enter the post-pandemic era with an in-person meeting Monday night.

On the agenda: honors for three Eagle Scouts; a ban on cannabis businesses; discussion of 5G telecommunications and more.

Here’s the full agenda. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at borough hall, 748 River Road.

June 25, 2021 - 7:50 am |

RED BANK: NO LOCAL TAX INCREASE IN BUDGET

Jun 24, 2021

A screengrab from Wednesday’s virtual meeting, which was chaired by Councilman Hazim Yassin, top right. (Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank property owners will see no increase in the local tax rate under the budget introduced by the borough council Wednesday night.

The governing body also finalized a plan for a charter study referendum that several commenters referred to as “historic;” eliminated the job of animal control officer to make way for the Monmouth SPCA; and tabled the hiring of a new executive director of the Redevelopment Agency.

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June 24, 2021 - 7:30 am |

RED BANK: TRASH SURVEY SPLITS COUNCIL

Nov 5, 2020

A screengrab of the council’s session Wednesday night. (Zoom screengrab. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A trash-and-recycling survey became the latest wedge between two factions of Red Bank’s one-party council Wednesday night.

The dispute included innuendo that Councilman Ed Zipprich could not be trusted to keep information secret from bidders in the pending award of a trash hauling contract.

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November 5, 2020 - 7:59 am |

RED BANK: SPLIT OVER LEAK PROBE CONTINUES

Oct 8, 2020

A screengrab of the council’s session Wednesday night, with councilmembers Erik Yngstrom at center left and Michael Ballard at center right. (Zoom screengrab. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A dispute over leaked emails entered its third month when the Red Bank council met for a workshop session via Zoom Wednesday night.

The issue has pitted two Democrats who are running for re-election against four who aren’t.

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October 8, 2020 - 7:40 am |

RED BANK: DEMS CLASH OVER BUDGET, PROBE

Aug 21, 2020

A screengrab of the council’s session Wednesday night. (Zoom screengrab. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Rifts among Democrats were on almost nonstop display during a three-hour meeting of the Red Bank council Wednesday night.

While Councilman Ed Zipprich pressed for a probe into an email leak he said had smeared his reputation, at least two of his colleagues were more concerned about his intervention in the bidding for a new trash hauling contract.

But first, the all-Democratic body split over proposed budget cuts pushed by Councilman Michael Ballard that others saw as unwise.

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August 21, 2020 - 11:30 am |

RED BANK: BUDGET Q&A SLATED AFTER ALL

Jul 30, 2020

Councilman Michael Ballard, center, with Councilman Ed Zipprich, left, and Business Administrator Ziad Shehady in December, 2018. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Almost two months later than promised, Red Bank residents will get a detailed explanation next week of a borough budget that would increase property taxes by 2.8 percent.

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July 30, 2020 - 11:30 am |

RED BANK: TAX INCREASE AT 2.8 PERCENT

Jul 23, 2020

A screengrab from Wednesday’s virtual meeting, with Councilman Michael Ballard at top center and Business Administrator Ziad Shehady at center right. (Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank property owners would pay 2.8 percent more in municipal taxes this year, under a budget advanced by the borough council Wednesday night.

The still-evolving $22.4 million spending plan was the centerpiece of a nearly three-hour online council meeting that left viewers with a lot to unpack.

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July 23, 2020 - 6:56 am |

RED BANK: TAX INCREASE ON AGENDA

Jul 21, 2020

Councilman Michael Ballard during an online meeting in May. (Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Red Bank’s proposed budget for 2020 would boost the amount to be raised from local property owners by 5.4 percent.

But heading into the final stretch, it’s not clear that the chairman of the finance committee will support the spending plan if it goes to a vote Wednesday night.

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July 21, 2020 - 8:30 am |

RED BANK: JOBS DEBATE SPLITS COUNCIL

May 14, 2020

Robert Greene, left, and John Caine at the Red Bank recycling center Thursday morning. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

A plan to eliminate two part-time jobs at the recycling center sharply divided Red Bank’s all-Democratic council Wednesday night.

Things got personal. During the governing body’s semimonthly meeting, conducted via Zoom, Councilman Ed Zipprich accused Business Administrator Ziad Shehady of retaliation for an earlier action by the union that represents the affected employees.

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May 14, 2020 - 12:45 pm |

RED BANK: ZOOMING IN ON PARKING & MORE

May 1, 2020

The White Street parking lot was desolate April 8. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

[See CORRECTION below]

By JOHN T. WARD

Along with their Netflix and Hulu viewing options during the COVID-19 lockdown, civic-minded Red Bankers will have some Zoom options in coming days.

Among them: a presentation on the redesign of the White Street parking lot.

OK, so it’s not quite ‘Tiger King,’ but hey.

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May 1, 2020 - 10:00 am |

RED BANK: MAPLE COVE ADDITION POSSIBLE

Apr 23, 2020

The property at 96-98 West Front Street is approved for offices and apartments. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Red Bank may get a small addition to its riverfront Maple Cove tract under negotiations authorized by council in executive session Wednesday night.

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April 23, 2020 - 8:30 am |

RED BANK: WHITE STREET ON COUNCIL AGENDA

Apr 22, 2020

Officials and council members recite the pledge of allegiance during the borough government’s first-ever digital-only meeting April 7. (YouTube screen grab. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

At its second official meeting of the COVID-19 era Wednesday night, the Red Bank council plans to consider awarding a contract to rebuild much of White Street and the adjoining municipal parking lot.

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April 22, 2020 - 7:25 am |

ON THE GREEN: RED BANK JOINS MOVE ONLINE

Apr 6, 2020

Fair Haven’s March 23 council meeting, conducted via Zoom from the office of Forefront Incorporated, drew 68 attendees. (YouTube screen grab. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Thanks to a videocamera placed on a conference room table, Fair Haven residents got a close-up view of Mayor Ben Lucarelli’s beard when the town’s governing body held its first-ever online-only public session two weeks ago.

Now, thanks to the limits on public gatherings in the COVID-19 pandemic, Red Bank is also about to enter the fuzzy world of public sessions at which no members of the public are present.

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April 6, 2020 - 11:15 am |

ON THE GREEN: MEETINGS MOVE ONLINE

Mar 23, 2020

Fair Haven Board of Ed members sat well-spaced at a meeting carried live on YouTube last week. (YouTube screen grab. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

Fair Haven’s board of ed held its first-ever virtual meeting last Wednesday.

With five members seated well apart from one another in the Knollwood School gym to minimize the possible transmission of the COVID-19 virus, the board had a quorum. Four other members participated via the Zoom conferencing app. And the public, barred from appearing in person, chimed in via the chat function on YouTube, where the meeting was live-streamed.

Among the most frequent comments: “we can’t hear you.”

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March 23, 2020 - 12:15 pm |

Red Bank Green

Serving Red Bank and Greater Red Bank, NJ

RED BANK: BUDGET & TAX ON AGENDA

FAIR HAVEN: COUNCIL TO MEET IN-PERSON

RED BANK: NO LOCAL TAX INCREASE IN BUDGET

RED BANK: TRASH SURVEY SPLITS COUNCIL

RED BANK: SPLIT OVER LEAK PROBE CONTINUES

RED BANK: DEMS CLASH OVER BUDGET, PROBE

RED BANK: BUDGET Q&A SLATED AFTER ALL

RED BANK: TAX INCREASE AT 2.8 PERCENT

RED BANK: TAX INCREASE ON AGENDA

RED BANK: JOBS DEBATE SPLITS COUNCIL

RED BANK: ZOOMING IN ON PARKING & MORE

RED BANK: MAPLE COVE ADDITION POSSIBLE

RED BANK: WHITE STREET ON COUNCIL AGENDA

ON THE GREEN: RED BANK JOINS MOVE ONLINE

ON THE GREEN: MEETINGS MOVE ONLINE