East Windsor Township residents will not see an increase in the municipal property tax rate for the seventh straight year.
That news is the result of the proposed $22.43 million budget for 2019 that was introduced at the East Windsor Township Council’s March 26 meeting.
Officials said the municipal tax rate will remain unchanged at 43 cents per $100 of assessed value, which means the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $258,825 will pay $1,120 in municipal property taxes for 2019.
The amount of property taxes to support the 2019 municipal budget is $12.1 million. Municipal property taxes are one line item on a property owner’s total tax bill, which includes school district and county property taxes.
A public hearing on the 2019 budget and final action is set for East Windsor Township Council’s April 16 meeting. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and will be held at the East Windsor Township Municipal Building.
Municipalities rely on several sources of revenue to support the budget – from the use of surplus funds (savings) to miscellaneous revenues such as licenses, fees and permits, Municipal Court fines and costs, and a hotel tax. The rest of the money to fund the budget is made up through property taxes.
In East Windsor Township’s proposed budget, licenses for alcoholic beverages are expected to generate $32,950. Municipal Court fines and fees are expected to generate $463,000, while the hotel tax will produce $210,000 in revenue.
Construction code fees will generate $387,572. Shared service agreements for animal control, the senior citizens center and police dispatching will produce $245,836.
Officials will apply $3.1 million in surplus funds to support the budget. They also expect to receive $3.5 million in state aid – an amount that has been unchanged since 2010.
Mayor Janice S. Mironov said the State of New Jersey “continues to flat-line municipal state aid funding and unjustly diverts millions and millions of municipal dollars which should be going to towns for property tax relief for our taxpayers.”
Mayor Mironov said the proposed budget is a “fiscally conservative budget document which well serves our community and retains all existing municipal service levels.”
“East Windsor Township has worked hard to keep our spending levels tight and continually seeks out additional efficiencies, cooperative purchasing avenues and service-sharing opportunities. The township has maintained a very low debt level,” Mayor Mironov said.
The mayor said the township’s tax base had increased by $5 million – to $2.8 billion – and which generated new revenue through added and omitted assessments.
Mayor Mironov pointed to several major developments and expansions that include the redevelopment of the former National Lead site; the opening of Modway Furniture; pharmaceutical company Hovione’s expansion, which doubled the size of the facility; Aurobindo Pharma; and LG Electronics.
East Windsor Township has been proactive and successful in supporting existing businesses while it also seeks to expand business opportunities and to attract new commercial ratables, Mayor Mironov said.