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7:55	Welcome. We are starting a little late...please excuse typing.

7:56	Rebecca Feldman and Alison Deeb voted against introduction of the municipal budget.

7:56	Alison said the increase actually is a 7.7 percent increase, not a 4 percent increase.

7:58	She says a $400K house that paid $9,400 in taxes last year will pay $10,120 this year. James Smith points out that those figures include school taxes. Alison acknowledges this, but says it's the total that residents care about, and if school taxes are flawed, they should be addressed.

7:59	A budget workshop set for July 8, public hearing for July 21.

8:00	(We will have complete details from this meeting shortly, with a video replay on Wednesday.)

8:04	Small turnout tonight, but the audience includes Democratic mayoral candidate Tim Dougherty, Republican mayoral candidate Jim Gervasio and Republican council candidates Richard Babcock and Frank Vitolo. Mayor Donald Cresitello is absent.

8:07

Alison and Rebecca also voted against spending $225,000 to upgrade air conditioning at town hall... Alison said it's cold enough in town hall. Although the ordinance has four yes votes, it is defeated because five votes are needed to pass bonding ordinances. (Michelle Harris-King is absent, presumably attending the high school graduation of her child.)

8:11

The resolutions are flying, for approval of various liquor licenses, they are passing. On July 21, the council is scheduled to hear the cases against two establishments--the Dark Horse Lounge and the Calaloo Cafe (now known as Yo & Papa). They face assorted charges alleging liquor license violations.

8:14	council approves temporary $5 million spending plan to keep the town running.

8:16	Rebecca wants parking study...re: new parking deck on DeHart Street.

8:16

meeting over . Afterward, Rebecca explains why she voted against the town budget: "We've left ourselves with inadequate reserves and haven't made hard decisions about cutting salaries and wages to keep this government running well." She met with Alison Deeb and Raline Smith-Reid on budget committee, and favors 3 percent pay cuts for Morristown's approximately 200 town employees. Rebecca says the administration is best equipped to determine how to distribute those cuts--salary reductions, furloughs or layoffs. Cutbacks, if adopted, would not kick in until January, she said. Assorted hurdles would prevent the town from realizing savings any sooner, she said.

9:20

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