Middletown Township Adopts Reduced 2010 Budget
MIDDLETOWN – Township officials adopted an amended $64.7 million budget that reflects ongoing efforts to cut costs and keep the tax rate stable by cutting spending an additional $400,000.
“This year’s budget reflects a reduction of 40 staff positions, a salary freeze and across-the-board reductions in departmental operating budgets,” said Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger. “In sum, the Township’s amended budget represents a 2.67% increase in total property taxes in an extraordinarily difficult economic year.”
Under the amended budget, the municipal tax rate will increase 4.6 cents to 39.75 cents per $100 of assessed value. This equates to approximately $17 per month for the average Township home assessed at $435,000.
“This year, municipal taxes represent just 23% of a resident’s tax bill, with 62% being levied for schools and 15% for the county,” concluded Scharfenberger.
The adopted budget addresses nearly $10 million in lost revenue, including:
- $1.6 million cut in state aid.
- $1.4 million obligation for retroactive pay under resolved labor contracts.
- $1 million in increased health care costs and nearly $1 million in deferred excess claims from 2009.
- $900,000 for extraordinary snow and storm clean-up.
- $1.8 million in deferred pension payments mandated by the state.
- $1 million in property tax appeal refunds.
- $400,000 in lost recycling revenue.
The amended budget can be viewed on line at www.middletownnj.org
Posted: September 9th, 2010 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Gerry Scharfenberger, Middletown, Press Release | Comments Off on Middletown Township Adopts Reduced 2010 Budget