Township of Montville

On Tuesday, April 2, 2013, the Montville Township Committee voted unanimously to introduce the 2013 municipal budget at their regularly scheduled meeting.  As introduced, the 2013 municipal budget represents an increase in spending of $487,021 or 1.7% over the 2012 adopted budget.  This has a corresponding impact of a 3.79% increase on the municipal tax levy, which is compliant with the State mandated tax levy cap.  All of these percentages translate to an increase in municipal taxes of approximately $100 for the average assessed home of $528,000.  On June 11, 2013, following approval from the State of New Jersey,  the Township Committee adopted the 2013 budget.  The adopted budget included one minor change to revenue items, which had no impact on the tax levy.

This year three distinct areas had a significant impact on the budget, tax appeals that have been settled, which necessitate refunds to be paid by the Township, terminal leave payouts owed to those retiring at the end of 2012, and increases in health insurance.  The Township Committee and staff worked diligently to prepare a budget that maintains the high level of service the Township’s residents expect, while controlling spending.

2013 Municipal Budget Summary (as introduced)

2013 Official Line Item Budget (as adopted)

JCP&L has announced steps that they have recently taken to provide customers with better and more timely communications relating to their service.  The following press release was received from JCP&L:

JCP&L Expands Suite of Industry-Leading Customer Communication Tools with Launch of New Outage Information on Website
Introduces new MyTown municipal web pages, outage map enhancements, and personalized outage information

Morristown, N.J. – With the launch of the new MyTown feature, Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) now provides the state’s most comprehensive municipal web pages for outage and infrastructure information. In addition, the company has made other website enhancements that provide more detailed local information about power outages, including estimated restoration times.

"The MyTown web pages join our portfolio of industry-leading communication tools – all introduced in the wake of Hurricane Sandy – that are designed to help JCP&L customers access the important information they need during a power outage," said James Fakult, president of JCP&L.

By clicking the “MyTown” link on the JCP&L 24/7 Power Center outage maps page, customers, local officials and media can view a summary of current outages affecting their town, as well as a snapshot of each community’s electric infrastructure. The MyTown pages can also be accessed at www.firstenergycorp.com/mytown.  Information on the MyTown pages is updated approximately every 15 minutes.

The company has also enhanced its 24/7 Power Center outage maps, available on computers and mobile devices at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.Customers may now view individual outages, with best-available estimated restoration times, as well as the cause of the service disruption when available. Customers can also toggle to the conventional shaded map to see an overview of any power outages across the service territory.

Finally, JCP&L has provided a new, web-based option for customers to receive a status update of a reported outage. When customers log in to their accounts on JCP&L’s website, they can now view the estimated restoration time and the cause of a reported outage, or learn of other outage activity in their area.

In addition to these web-based tools, the company launched several new services for customers earlier this year:

• Email and Text Message Alerts: Customers can now subscribe to receive alert notifications via email or text message on topics including restoration updates, severe weather warnings, notifications of planned power outages, or billing information. Customers can log in to www.jcp-l.com to update their alert preferences.
• Text messaging: Customers can send a text message to 544487 (LIGHTS) to report a power outage, request an update on restoration efforts, and make other inquiries about their electric accounts. To get started with this service, text “REG” to 544487.
• Smartphone apps and mobile website: JCP&L offers free smartphone apps for Apple® iPhone® and Android™ devices. In addition, the company’s industry-leading mobile website is available by visiting www.jcp-l.com from a smartphone. The apps and mobile site make it easy for customers to report outages and manage their accounts while they are on the go.

More information on all of the company’s technology tools can be found online at www.firstenergycorp.com/connect.

JCP&L has also updated its website to emphasize information on storm preparation, safety, and the company’s restoration process. In the event of a significant storm, the company will continue to provide a dedicated storm information page with specific information about the event. In addition, customers can follow JCP&L on Twitter @JCP_L and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCPandL. JCP&L recentlyadded customer service and storm support personnel to its social media team.

JCP&L serves 1.1 million New Jersey customers in the counties of Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren. Follow JCP&L on Twitter @JCP_L, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCPandL, or online at www.jcp-l.com.

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