The South Brunswick Township Council introduced its 2022 municipal budget that is projected to have a 3.2-cent increase in the tax rate.
The council introduced the $62.8 budget at a meeting on June 14. A public hearing for the budget is scheduled for 6 p.m. on July 26.
According to township spokesperson Ron Schmalz, there will not be any reduction in services with the 2022 budget.
South Brunswick is expecting to maintain 252 employees, the same number as in 2021.
The municipal tax rate proposed is 98.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of an averaged assessed home at $200,000 in the township would pay $1,970 in 2022.
For 2021, the tax rate was 95.3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. A home assessed at $200,000 paid $1,906 in taxes.
Municipal taxes are one item on a property owner’s total tax bill, which also includes school taxes and Middlesex County taxes.
The amount an individual pays in taxes is determined by the assessed value of his home and/or property, and the tax rate that is set by each taxing entity.
The township is projected to collect $44.4 million from residential and commercial property owners to support the municipal budget. Residential and commercial property owners are projected to experience a $2.33 million increase in the tax levy.
In 2021, the budget was $64.8 million, which included a $42.05 million tax levy.
The total budget for 2022 has decreased by $2 million from 2021.
South Brunswick’s budget covers the cost of general government, public works, salaries and wages, shared service agreements and insurance.
On the revenues portion of the 2022 budget, South Brunswick will use $1.5 million from the surplus as revenue in the budget. In the 2021 budget, officials did not use funds from the surplus.
Other revenues in the 2022 budget include $5.19 million in state aid, which was is the same amount that was received in 2021; $2.39 million from American Rescue Plan funding; $1.56 million in uniform construction code fees; $811,500 from shared service agreements; $638,000 from fees and permits; $445,498 from Cable TV fees, and $313,500 in interest and costs on taxes.
On the appropriations side of the budget for 2022, the budget will fund $4.57 million on debt service. The appropriation for debt service decreased by $1.58 million from last year’s budget at $6.15 million.
Additional appropriations include $28.4 million towards salary and wages, which is a $1.76 million decrease from 2021; $7.6 million for employee group insurance; $3.35 million for payment on bond principal; $2.7 million for solid waste collection; $2 million towards social security and $585,625 for shared service agreements.