By Michael Benavides
Staff Writer
PLUMSTED – A $3.76 million budget which will fund the operation of Plumsted Township in 2017 has been introduced by the Township Committee.
Members of the governing body introduced the budget on March 1. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled to be held at the committee’s April 5 meeting.
The 2017 budget will be supported in part by the collection of $2 million in property taxes from Plumsted’s residential and commercial property owners. In 2016, the tax levy was $1.96 million.
In 2017, the municipal tax rate is projected to be 25.6 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, the average home is assessed at $280,400 and the owner of that home will pay $718 in municipal taxes.
In 2016, the municipal tax rate was 25.1 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, the average home was assessed at $279,293 and the owner of that home paid $701 in municipal taxes.
Municipal taxes are one component of a property owner’s total tax bill. Property owners also pay Plumsted Township School District taxes, Ocean County taxes and other assessments.
Officials expect to receive $452,322 in state aid in 2017 — the same amount that was received in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
According to the budget, $519,454 from Plumsted’s surplus account will be used as revenue in the 2017 spending plan. In 2016, officials used $416,767 from surplus as revenue to support the budget.
The township’s debt service payment for 2017 is projected to be $87,819.
The budget pays for items such as the police department, municipal professionals such as attorneys and engineers, and the administration of the township.
Police salaries and wages have increased from $793,000 in 2016 to $814,000 in 2017, according to the budget. The total appropriation for the police department will be $912,090 (salaries and wages, $814,000; other expenses; $86,890; and vehicle purchases, $11,200).
In 2017, municipal employees will pay $65,000 toward Plumsted’s group health insurance costs of $459,500. That amount represents an increase of $95,500 from 2016, when municipal employees paid $62,000 toward the group health insurance costs of $364,000.
According to the budget, the appropriation for insurance in 2017 will be $531,500 (general liability insurance, $68,500; workers compensation insurance, $68,500; and employee group health insurance, $394,500).
Total appropriations for buildings and grounds will $126,200 (salaries and wages, $50,000; other expenses, $72,300; and demolition, $3,900).
The appropriation for the recreation department in 2017 is projected to be $15,400.
According to the 2017 budget, Plumsted’s pension payment to the Public Employees Retirement System will be $60,854 and the payment to the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System will be $164,818.