By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE – The Township Committee has adopted a $6.12 million budget that will keep municipal taxes stable in 2017.
Millstone Township’s 2017 budget reduces total municipal spending by $340,000 from 2016.
The 2017 budget will be supported by the collection of $2.59 million in taxes from residential and commercial property owners in Millstone. Other revenues include the use of $944,746 from surplus funds (savings) and the receipt of $841,753 in state aid.
Millstone’s 2016 budget totaled $6.46 million and was supported by the collection of $2.59 million in property taxes, the use of $891,893 from surplus and the receipt of $841,753 in state aid.
In 2016, the municipal tax rate was 14 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at $530,000 paid about $745 in municipal taxes ($62 per month).
In 2017, the municipal tax rate is projected to be 13.9 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at $530,000 will pay about $737 in municipal taxes this year – a decrease of $8 from the previous year.
An individual will pay more or less in municipal taxes based on the assessment of his property and/or home.
The municipal tax levy ($2.59 million) has remained stable since 2012, according to Chief Financial Officer Annette Murphy.
Township officials have said Millstone has the lowest municipal tax rate in Monmouth County. The municipality, which had an estimated population of about 10,400 residents in 2015, does not operate its own police department; the New Jersey State Police provides coverage in the township.
“We fight for [having the lowest tax rate in the county] every year,” Deputy Mayor Fiore Masci said. “It is not something we are satisfied with. We try to continue to go down and be more fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars.”
“The average homeowner pays $62 a month” in municipal taxes, Mayor Michael Kuczinski said. “When you look at what you pay in this town, for everything you get here that we control, it is a very small amount compared to the total” tax collection.
Committeeman Bob Kinsey thanked Murphy, treasurer Amanda Salerno and auditor Bob Allison for their work on the budget.
“We always end up where we want to go because we make a plan and we work the plan,” Kinsey said. “I am happy to say our budget is reflective of no increase in the tax levy since 2012, our spending is down as compared to the prior year, and overall, our fund balances are strong [and] our debt is being managed very holistically. This budget is solid, strong, fiscally responsible and I thank [the financial team] for all the hard work that went into it.”
Kinsey also thanked other individuals involved with the budget, including his fellow committee members, Township Administrator Maria Dellasala and employees of the Department of Public Works.
In addition to municipal taxes, a property owner’s total tax bill also includes Millstone Township K-8 School District taxes, Monmouth County taxes, a fire district tax and other assessments.
Capital improvements for 2017 will be the road program ($840,000) and the acquisition of vehicles and equipment for the Department of Public Works ($340,000), according to Murphy.
The budget includes the following appropriations: municipal debt service, $1.2 million; insurance, $1 million; municipal general government, $870,060; public works, $843,834; reserve for uncollected taxes, $830,000; Uniform Construction Code, $320,505; statutory expenditures, $270,018; and utilities and bulk purchases, $232,000.
As of May 17, Millstone has 21 full-time employees and nine part-time employees, according to Murphy. Personnel costs account for $2.3 million of the township’s $6.12 million budget for 2017.