Twp. OKs Budget With $35 Tax Hike in 2012

A Washington Township resident with an average home, assessed at $436,000, will see a $35 increase in their municipal taxes in 2012, after the governing body approved its proposed budget Monday night.

While the overall budget decreased by $233,110 from the current year to the upcoming year’s budget, the tax levy–revenue source coming from property taxes–increased by $153,659.

The township was able to hold its tax levy under the state-mandated 2-percent cap, coming in at 1.39-percent. That figure includes all public employee healthcare and pension requirements in the township.

“This is our lowest budget in seven years,” Washington Township Mayor Ken Short said. “We’re not borrowing any money this year for road projects or anything else. We’re paying down our debts this year.”

Inside that budget comes some new items for the township–some that were denied in previous years.

The township is putting a 5-percent down payment on a , coming in at $22,500. The total payment for the truck, over time, will be $450,000.

Also in the budget is the outright purchase of a new ambulance for the Long Valley First Aid Squad, with a price tag of $187,500. Two new fully outfitted police cars, computers for the township, and a dump truck body, have also been paid for in full.

Total Budget

The committee also approved $975,000 in road improvements in the budget, which includes a $210,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Top priority roads to be fixed in 2012 include Road, Fairview Avenue, Pleasant Grove Road, and Wehrli Road.

Washington Township for the new budget, the same amount it received for the current year.

Municipal budgets in New Jersey are not voted on, therefore making the committee’s approval Monday night the final say. After and districts opted to move their elections to November–eliminating a public vote–there is no budget for residents in town to weigh in on this year.

The committee held half a dozen budget meetings between January and early March to finalize the figures for 2012’s spending plan.