By JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer
SOUTH BRUNSWICK — The proposed municipal budget in South Brunswick could increase the tax rate by 3.8 cents, if adopted in April.
Due to the $54,813,000 total spending budget and local tax levy of $31,611,345, the owner of an average assessed home of $188,800 could see taxes increase $6 per month or $71.74 per year, according to information presented by Township Manager Bernard Hvozdovic and Chief Financial Officer Joseph Monzo during the Feb. 28 council meeting.
The municipal tax rate is .857 cents per $100 of the assessed value of a home.
This is an increase of $2,309,000 from last year’s budget, Monzo said.
The largest cost increases are $771,000 for group insurance; $600,000 for affordable housing, with another $400,000 in the trust; $426,000 for solid waste collection; and $370,000 for debt service from the open space trust fund. These four items total $2.16 million.
State aid should remain flat at $5,191,679, while $3,750,000 of surplus is being used, according to Monzo.
Any staffing or department changes are yet to be discussed with the council, as are any capital improvements, Monzo said.
In 2016, the tax rates were 2.88 cents for the school district, .94 cents for the county, .08 cents for the library and .86 cents for the township. The local tax rate in South Brunswick in 2016 was 0.8190, or $0.81 per $100 of assessed value, the sixth lowest in Middlesex County.
The council is expected to hold several meetings with department directors prior to the formal introduction of the budget, according to Monzo. The budget is expected to be formally introduced in April, he said.