South Brunswick property owners will experience an increase in taxes with the Township Council’s adoption of a $64.6 million municipal budget that funds township operations in 2022.
Deputy Mayor Joe Camarota, Councilwoman Jo Hochman, Councilwoman Ann Grover and Councilman Ken Bierman voted ‘yes’ to adopt the municipal budget at a Council meeting on Sept. 6.
The 2022 budget has a $0.020 increase in the tax rate. Township taxpayers will not see a decrease in services with the new budget, according to township officials.
The municipal tax rate is $0.973 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of an averaged assessed home at $200,000 in the township will see a $40 increase and pay $1,946 in 2022.
For 2021, the tax rate was $0.953 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 a home and/or property, and the tax rate that is set by each taxing entity.
South Brunswick will collect $43.9 million in funds from residential and commercial property owners to support the municipal budget. Residential and commercial property owners are projected to experience a $1.83 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 $148,932 from 2021.
South Brunswick’s budget covers the cost of general government, public works, salaries and wages, shared service agreements and insurance.
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 $1.57 million from last year’s budget at $6.15 million.
Additional appropriations include $28 million towards the township’s salary and wages, which is a $1.37 million increase from 2021; $8.88 million for employee group insurance; and $3.43 million on police and fireman retirement system of New Jersey.
Also included: a $3.35 million for payment on bond principal; $2.7 million for solid waste collection; $2 million towards social security, $1.22 million for solid waste disposal, $585,625 for shared service agreements and $250,000 on capital improvements.
On the revenues portion, South Brunswick will use $4.05 million from the surplus as revenue in the budget. In the 2021 budget, officials did not use funds from the surplus.
Other revenues include $5.46 million in state aid, which 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; and $814,500 from hotel and motel tax.
Additionally, $811,500 from shared service agreements; $638,000 from fees and permits; $445,498 from Cable TV fees, $421,513 from public and private revenues and $313,500 in interest and costs on taxes.