A new Red Bank city budget was passed Tuesday evening, but not before over a dozen city residents out of the packed City Hall room voiced vehement disagreement with it.
The chief concern came from citizens worried about was the commission's plan to eliminate the city's one housing codes officer.
"My house is my single largest capital investment," said resident Jerry Stein. "If houses deteriorate, property values go down,"
The final draft of the $4.8 million budget does not include an initially proposed 36 cent property tax-which means a litany of cuts.
Eliminations include funds for a new City Hall, a proposed 2 percent pay raise, and three of five new police vehicles, though a third car will be added using money from the department's drug fund. Also cut will be the city's leaf vacuuming service, though bagged leaves will still be picked up, City Manager Chris Dorsey clarified.