MARLBORO – The Township Council has set April 12 as the date for a public hearing on a $37.4 million budget that will fund the operation of Marlboro in 2018. The budget was introduced March 1 and carries a $59 tax increase for the owner of a home that is assessed at the township average.
To support the proposed $37.4 million budget, Marlboro’s commercial and residential property owners will pay a total of $27.24 million in property taxes this year. Other revenues will account for the remaining $10.16 million in appropriations.
In 2017, the municipal tax rate was 36.6 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, the average home assessment was $494,179 and the owner of that home paid $1,808 in municipal taxes.
In 2018, the municipal tax rate is projected to be 37.8 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, the average home assessment is $493,926 and the owner of that home will pay $1,867 in municipal taxes, an increase of $59 from last year.
If a home in Marlboro was assessed at $650,000 in 2017, that homeowner paid $2,379 in municipal taxes. If that home is still assessed at $650,000 in 2018, that homeowner’s municipal tax will be $2,457, an increase of $78.
The municipal tax rate and the assessed value of a property determine the amount of municipal taxes a property owner pays. Municipal taxes are one item on a property owner’s tax bill, which also includes Monmouth County taxes, Marlboro K-8 School District taxes, Freehold Regional High School District taxes, a fire district tax and other assessments.
Township officials anticipate receiving $2.3 million in state aid in 2018, the same amount Marlboro received in 2017. Officials will use $4.6 million from surplus funds (savings) as revenue in the 2018 budget. In 2017, officials used $4.2 million from surplus.
In a budget statement, Mayor Jonathan Hornik said, in part, that “the budget is under the state (tax) levy cap by $1.76 million and is also $2.47 million under the state spending cap. The township is well under the state established limits on both taxation and spending.”
Hornik said the budget “includes expanded strength training, cardio and fitness programming for senior citizens, hiring and equipping a new police officer with a focus on explosives detection and school security, and a down payment on the largest road improvement initiative in Marlboro history.”
“The budget includes a 5 percent down payment on a $5 million road improvement program to be launched this spring; with the cost of road reconstruction averaging approximately $500,000 per mile, we continue our practice of applying for grants to help offset the high costs associated with investing in infrastructure,” the mayor said.
Police officers in Marlboro were paid $8.68 million in base salaries and wages in 2017. That amount is expected to increase to $8.88 million in 2018. A total of $440,482 was budgeted for police operations in 2017 and $505,042 is budgeted for police operations in 2018.
Officials budgeted $1.55 million in 2017 to pay salaries and wages for street and road management. That amount is expected to increase to $1.64 million in 2018. A total of $178,468 was budgeted for other expenses involving street and road improvements in 2017 and $172,607 is budgeted for other expenses involving street and road improvements in 2018.
Employees of the recreation department were paid $390,376 in base salaries and wages in 2017. That amount is expected to increase to $448,681 in 2018. A total of $150,140 was budgeted for recreation operations in 2017 and $188,085 is budgeted for recreation operations in 2018, according to municipal officials.