By Michael Benavides
Staff Writer
JACKSON – The Township Council has introduced a municipal budget totaling $42.4 million and set April 25 as the date for a public hearing on the spending plan. Residents may comment on the spending plan at that time.
Council members voted 4-0 on March 28 to introduce the budget. Council President Kenneth Bressi and councilmen Scott Martin, Barry Calogero and Robert Nixon took the action. Council Vice President Ann Updegrave was absent.
The budget may be viewed on Jackson’s municipal website.
The $42.4 million budget will be supported in part through the collection of $31.8 million in taxes from Jackson’s residential and commercial property owners. The township will receive $3.41 million in state aid in 2017, which is the same amount that was received in 2016. Officials will use $2.78 million from surplus funds (savings) as revenue in the budget.
In 2017, the municipal tax rate will increase to 47.3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The average home is assessed at $326,489 and the owner of that home will pay $1,544 in municipal taxes.
In 2016, Jackson’s budget totaled $41.8 million and was supported in part through the collection of $30.93 million in local taxes. Officials used $3 million from surplus as revenue. The municipal tax rate was 46.2 cents per $100, the average home was assessed at $325,748 and the owner of that home paid $1,511 in municipal taxes.
The increase in the tax rate will have a different impact on each property owner depending on the assessed value of his home and/or property.
Municipal taxes are one component of a property owner’s total tax bill. Property owners also pay Jackson School District taxes, Ocean County taxes and other assessments.
During the budget presentation, Business Administrator Helene Schlegel informed the council and members of the public that Jackson’s tax base is 87 percent residential.
She suggested that efforts need to be made to pursue ratables that will increase the commercial portion of the tax base.
“I think we could do a better job. We need to look for some clean ratables. … We would like to see a little bit of that residential (percentage) go down and have some businesses pick up that burden,” Schlegel said.
Jackson has 224 full-time employees and 61 part-time employees. Personnel costs account for $28.29 million (approximately 66.8 percent) of the $42.4 million budget.
According to the budget presentation, salaries and wages total $19.28 million; other expenses, operational, total $11.82 million; statutory expenses total $4.67 million; and debt service totals $3.77 million.
Selected appropriations for 2017 include $500,000 for legal services; $733,400 for general liability insurance; $4.29 million for employee group health insurance; $11.1 million for police salaries and wages; $625,322 for other police expenses; $528,007 for police/dispatch salaries and wages; $2.34 million for payments to the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System of New Jersey; and $857,862 for payments to the Public Employees’ Retirement System.
In a budget statement, Mayor Michael Reina said, “The proposed 2017 operating budget funds our core mission of delivering essential municipal services. As in all prior years during my tenure as mayor, the proposed budget was formulated to meet our objectives of long-term planning and sustainability.
“These two main objectives are extremely important as they impact budgets and services going forward. Thus far, we have accomplished these objectives and we will continue to adhere to sound financial polices and best practices.
“The capital budget is formulated with the foresight to reduce long-term debt and not defer necessary capital spending, which only shifts the burden to future administrations.
“The administration will not deviate from their goal of finding innovative ways to operate more efficiently and economically while maintaining the highest level of quality services to our residents. We are continually looking for ways to maximize our resources to improve Jackson’s quality of life,” Reina wrote.