East Windsor Township residents will not see an increase in the municipal property tax rate for the seventh straight year, under the 2019 municipal budget that was approved by the East Windsor Township Council.
The municipal property tax rate will remain unchanged at 43 cents per $100 of assessed value under the $22.4 million budget adopted by the East Windsor Township Council at its April 16 meeting.
The owner of a house assessed at the East Windsor Township average of $258,825 will pay $1,120 in municipal property taxes for 2019 – the same amount as 2018. There was a $7,793 reduction in the 2019 budget as compared to the 2018 budget.
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 Mercer County property taxes.
The East Windsor municipal component of the total property tax bill remains at less than 15 percent of the total bill, Mayor Janice S. Mironov said. It is among the lowest amounts in the entire region, she said.
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.
Licenses for alcoholic beverages will generate $32,950. Municipal Court fines and fees will 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. The town will receive $3.5 million in state aid – an amount that has not changed since 2010.
Mayor 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 declared that 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 announced.
The mayor said the town’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 businesses while it also seeks to expand business opportunities and to attract new commercial ratables, Mayor Mironov said.