Resident expresses concern over Robbinville’s long-term debt
by James McEvoy, Managing Editor
ROBBINSVILLE — The Township Council unanimously approved a $21.9 million municipal budget, which includes a 2-cent reduction in the municipal tax rate, saving the owner of an average assessed home $76 in annual property taxes.
The budget was approved, pending state approval, at the May 9 Township Council meeting.
The decrease brings the municipal tax rate to 52.2 cents per $100 of assessed home value, meaning owners of homes assessed at $381,000 would pay $1,981 in municipal taxes. Residents haven’t seen a tax cut since 2007 when the township took over the fire district.
During the public hearing on the municipal budget, Sonja Walter, a former councilwoman, who ran unsuccessfully against Mayor Dave Fried in 2009, said she wanted to see more tax stability in Robbinsville Township.
”We’re using more surplus this year to balance the budget, and that enables us to have a tax decrease. It looks to me like that was a possibility last year,” Ms. Walter said. “That’s my concern. Over the years, we’ve talked about tax stability. We haven’t had tax stability ever.”
Ms. Walter expressed similar sentiments, when the budget was introduced, regarding the tax rate and what she termed as tax “manipulation” based on election cycles.
Resident Michael Morkin also expressed concern regarding the township’s long-term debt, which township officials said stands at approximately $44 million.
The proposed budget includes a $500,000 reduction in long-term debt. Mayor Fried named debt reduction as a goal so the township eventually could spend more money on services.
With regard to the tax decrease, officials have attributed much of it to reaching a multimillion dollar agreement with Amazon.com in January.
Since a 22-acre farm will be converted to commercial property by Amazon.com, the township was eligible to receive $650,000 in rollback taxes. Under state law, once farmland converts to commercial property, the township can collect three years’ worth of taxes based on what the land would have been assessed at had it always been a commercial property.
Amazon.com plans to build a 1,000,000-square-foot warehouse on the property.

