SAYREVILLE – The Sayreville Borough Council has introduced a $63.6 million budget to fund the operation of the municipality during 2021.
The budget was introduced by council members on April 12. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled remotely for May 10 at 7 p.m. The council may adopt the budget that evening.
The $63.6 million budget, which can be amended prior to its final adoption, will be supported by the collection of $34.4 million in taxes from residential and commercial property owners, according to the budget document. Other revenue includes $9.27 million in state aid and $3.6 million from surplus funds (savings).
Sayreville’s 2020 budget totaled $63.9 million and was supported by the collection of $33.4 million in taxes from property owners, according to the budget document. Other revenue included $9.274 million in state aid and $3.6 million from surplus funds.
The municipal tax rate in 2020 was about $1.449 per $100 of assessed valuation. The average home in Sayreville was assessed at $145,024 and the owner of that home paid about $2,101 in municipal taxes.
For 2021, the municipal tax rate is projected to be $1.485 per $100 of assessed valuation. The average home in the borough is now assessed at about $146,015 and the owner of that home will pay about $2,168 in municipal taxes.
Municipal taxes are one component of a property owner’s tax bill, which also includes Middlesex County taxes and Sayreville School District taxes. Individuals pay more or less in taxes depending on the assessed value of their home and/or property, and the tax rate that is set by each taxing entity.
Before voting in favor of the budget’s introduction, Councilwoman Donna Roberts thanked Business Administrator Dan Frankel and Chief Financial Officer Denise Biancamano for their work on it.
“Some of the challenges overcome were interest on income, park and ride income, construction, recreation income and other revenue streams that really were cut during the [coronavirus] pandemic,” Roberts said. “It really was a mountain to overcome and [Frankel and Biancamano] did a great job in the face of these obstacles. The operating budget is something we can’t change, it’s either mandated by statutes or by contracts. The only leeway we have is in capital, which is all of our services and they were able to really maintain the service level.”
Following the introduction, Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick said, “The last two budgets have not been easy as a result of the pandemic and I think everyone did a tremendous job in the face of some really challenging times. As Councilman Roberts mentioned, it was really our revenues that were down, as is happening throughout the other municipalities as well.
“I think that everyone did a very good job at trying to bring that number down as low as possible, so once again, the homeowners do not have to bear that big of a burden because we are all desperately trying to get out of this COVID-19 pandemic and the ramifications of that,” the mayor said.