The proposed 2014 municipal budget is $21.3 million, a reduction over last year’s $23.8 million spending plan.
by James McEvoy, Managing Editor
ROBBINSVILLE — Township officials have announced Mayor Dave Fried will present a flat budget at tonight’s Township Council meeting that includes $400,085.88 less in spending than the budgeted amount in 2013.
The proposed 2014 municipal budget is $21.3 million, a reduction over last year’s $23.8 million spending plan.
Township officials note the $2 million differential is attributed to a decrease in grants awarded to the township in 2014.
As it relates to the tax rate, Mayor Fried told the Messenger Press there would be a fluctuation of less a penny.
”The (tax) rate will fluctuate slightly primarily because we did a revaluation of some of the largest properties in town,” he said. “It’s not a material fluctuation. We don’t know what the actual rate’s going to be.”
The mayor said the properties included Foxmoor and Towne Center developments.
”We’ll actually be collecting less money from our taxpayers this year than we did last year by about $100,000,” the mayor said.
Last year, the municipal tax rate was 52.2 cents per $100 of assessed home value, meaning owners of homes assessed at $381,000 paid $1,981 in municipal taxes. Residents haven’t seen a tax cut since 2007 when the township took over the fire district.
In addition, the township also will pay $250,000, or 5.5 percent, less toward its debt load, which will be reduced by $995,772.25 over the next 12 months.
”We are extremely proud of this budget, especially considering many of our neighbors in Mercer County, our school district and the county itself, are raising taxes this year,” Mayor Fried said in a press release. “Sacrifices were made and our team, led by Business Administrator Joy Tozzi and Chief Financial Officer Deborah Bauer, worked tirelessly on behalf of our residents to keep Robbinsville’s municipal tax rate the most stable in Mercer County.
”We have been able to accomplish this by continuing to secure new ratables, sharing services with neighboring towns and limiting residential development, which in turn curtails school enrollment,” he added.
Last year’s budget included a 2-cent reduction in the municipal tax rate from 2012, saving the owner of an average assessed home $76 in annual property taxes.
Mayor Fried discussed more specifics of the 2014 budget during his annual State of the Township address earlier in the day at Ritchie & Page Distribution Warehouse, located at 175 New Canton Way in Robbinsville.
A public hearing on the budget has not been scheduled as of press time.

