Wantage to receive full state aid next year

WANTAGE — Wantage is eligible to receive money back through state aid, despite questions asked on the State of NJ Best Management Practices for Towns Questionnaire.

Each year, municipal governments must complete 50 questions on a tally for New Jersey. The tally determines if the state will withhold a percentage of state aid.

Wantage passed the questionnaire with 45 out of 50 questions, a score of 90 percent, thus, making Wantage eligible for the entire amount of available state aid.

Administrator James Doherty reviewed the results with the Wantage Committee on Oct. 23. The five questions which were considered incorrect, frequently applied to more urban areas or covered points which would not benefit Wantage.

One question asked about a process for a community rating under the National Flight Insurance program.

Doherty said this is a voluntary program which would have been labor intensive and time consuming without any benefit. Since Wantage is a rural community without its own water system, extensive hydrants, and a low population spread out over a large area, township residents would not have saved money or received any insurance benefits. Doherty said, it “makes sense for a city”, but not for a rural community.

Has the municipality a pay to play ordinance more restrictive than the state statute?

Doherty asked why the state would encourage towns to go above state law?

“A town's compliance with state law should be an automatic compliance with best management practice,” Doherty said.

Has the municipality explored all avenues for ending payments in lieu of health benefits?

Wantage offers an option for employees to opt out of the township's plan if their spouse is covered by a health insurance plan elsewhere. The township pays the employee $4,000 to “opt out” its plan. This saves the taxpayers close to $24,000 a year.

Thus, it is “best management practices” for Wantage not to pursue what the State recommends, although it results in a lower score on the state's questionnaire, Doherty said.

Does Wantage have a light duty return to work policy?

Wantage has a very small work force, and the Public Works Department does not have any “light duty” assignments. The township would have to create work which is not needed.

Does the municipality limit benefits for work-related injuries to 70 percent of employee's wages?

Due to what previous administrations established decades ago, this change would first need to be negotiated with the unions.

“Just because something is a good idea for Camden or Lodi, doesn't mean it's a good idea for Wantage," he said. "You cannot fit the entire state of New Jersey into a cookie cutter format.”