Lawrence Township property owners will see a 2-cent increase in the municipal property tax rate under the $50.5 million budget for 2020 that was approved by the Township Council, following a public hearing at its April 21 meeting.
The municipal property tax rate will increase from 57 cents to 59 cents per $100 of assessed value. This means the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $281,403 would pay $1,660 in municipal property taxes, which is a $49 increase over 2019, township officials said.
Municipal property taxes are one component of a property owner’s tax bill. Lawrence Township’s residential and commercial property owners also pay taxes to support the Lawrence Township Public Schools, Mercer County and the Mercer County Library System. They also pay local and county open space taxes.
The 2020 municipal budget is $1.4 million more than the 2019 municipal budget of $49.1 million. Officials said most of the increase is due to contractual obligations, such as salary increases, and to statutory increases such as pension payments.
Municipal Manager Kevin Nerwinski told the council that a slight modification was made to the budget. It was increased by $135,000 – $30,000 in salaries and wages, and $105,000 in other expenses under the Municipal Manager appropriation in the budget.
The $135,000 increase is an estimate of the potential COVID-19 related additional expenses for 2020, Nerwinski said. The budget was prepared and introduced by the Township Council before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged.
The additional money can be used to hire temporary employees, if the township’s work force decreases because of illness or other COVID-19 related circumstances, and to buy goods and supplies to address COVID-19 related issues, Nerwinski said.
“The full impact of the pandemic upon municipal finances cannot be accurately known at this time. We will have a better sense of it after our third quarter property taxes are collected,” Nerwinski said. The third quarter property tax bill is due Aug. 1.
Nerwinski said there are no plans to create new, permanent positions. The township will replace police officers who are retiring to maintain the strength of the Lawrence Township Police Department, he said.
The main source of revenue to support the budget is property taxes. The amount to be raised by taxes is $27.6 million, which is an increase of $926,104 over the $26.6 million tax levy for 2019.
The budget anticipates using $6.8 million from surplus funds as a source of revenue to balance the budget. This is an increase of $1.2 million over the 2019 budget.
Lawrence Township had $16.9 million in surplus funds at the end of 2019, compared to a year-end surplus of $15.5 million in 2018.
Officials anticipate receiving $3.9 million in state aid for 2020. State aid has remained flat for several years.
Miscellaneous revenues such as liquor licenses, fees and permits, municipal court fines and costs, a hotel and motel tax, and grants will generate $15.2 million.
Lawrence Township is poised to make progress on several significant projects that have been in the works, and grant funds have played a part in making the projects a reality, according to township officials.
Lawrence Township expects to receive $2.9 million in grants toward the purchase of the Sheft property that borders Colonial Lake, adjacent to the Colonial Bowling and Entertainment Center at 2420 Brunswick Pike. The township will use $700,000 from its open space fund toward the $3.6 million purchase.
The township received a $60,000 grant toward the planning and completion of the Brunswick Pike streetscape project, which will beautify a stretch of Brunswick Pike between Lake Drive and the Brunswick Circle.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has awarded a $239,524 grant to the township through its Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation fund toward the cleanup of the former “Pit Stop” property on Lawrence Road.