The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners has adopted a $474.08 million budget to support the county’s operations during 2022. The budget, which was introduced on March 8, was adopted at the board’s April 14 meeting, according to a press release.
Commercial and residential property owners in the county’s 53 municipalities will pay a total of $311.5 million in taxes to support the 2022 budget. According to a budget document posted online, that is the same amount of taxes the county collected in support of the 2021 budget.
The amount a property owner will pay in county taxes will be determined by the assessed value of his home and/or property and the county tax rate that is established in each municipality.
County taxes are one item on a property owner’s tax bill, which also includes school taxes and municipal taxes.
“I am proud of the county’s 2022 budget and happy to report there is no proposed tax increase,” Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone said. “Over the last 10 years, the county has been able to maintain or improve services and minimize the overall tax impact on residents through several important initiatives including privatization and shared services.”
Some of the major cost increases in the 2022 county budget include employee health benefits, state pension costs, gas and diesel fuel, and costs related to elections, according to the press release.
Most of these costs have been offset by anticipated increases in revenue for the county clerk and parks department, surplus generated by the successful privatization of the county reclamation center (landfill) and use of federal funding for revenue replacement under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), according to the press release.
Over the last 12 years, the county’s budget has decreased by nearly $20 million from a peak of $493.4 million in 2010 to the current $474 million spending plan in 2022.
“The board continues to take a conservative approach to budgeting and focus on long-term planning,” said Commissioner Nick DiRocco, who is the liaison to the Department of Finance.
“The 2022 county budget maintains and improves vital county services, continues investment in county infrastructure and other capital improvements, and protects the county’s long-standing Aaa bond rating,” DiRocco said.
The annual budget covers the cost of maintaining 1,000 lane miles of roads, more than 900 bridges, 16,000 acres of county parks, emergency management services, 911 emergency communications, law enforcement through the prosecutor’s office and the sheriff’s office, elections, deed recording and passport services in the county clerk’s office, probates and adoptions through the surrogate’s office, as well as numerous additional programs and benefits, according to the press release.
The county budget may be viewed on the Monmouth County website at www.visitmonmouth.com under the Finance Department.