By: John Tredrea
A Hopewell Township budget for 2001 that will increase municipal taxes from 21 to 24 cents per $100 of assessed property value was adopted by a unanimous Township Committee vote June 8.
The $14.31 million budget is up $1.1 million, or nearly 9 percent, over last year.
An adoption vote on the $14.31 million budget had been delayed about a month, until an interlocal agreement with Hopewell Borough involving the maintenance of public works vehicles was finalized.
Under the now-approved township budget, the owner of a house assessed at $200,000 will see a $60 increase in municipal taxes over last year, from $420 to $480.
Areas of the budget with the largest increases over last year include:
The streets or roads, or public works, budget, is up $325,000, to $1,449,000, primarily due to a 4 percent salary increase for public works employees, and increased fuel costs.
The public safety budget is up $113,000, to $2,215,000, due to the purchase of three new police vehicles and salary increases.
The health and welfare budget is up $48,000, to $251,000, primarily as a result of additional secretarial and nursing staff and salary increases.
Debt service is up $350,000, to $2,535,000. Most of the increase comes from a one-time payment, to the township’s sewer utility fund, of interest paid on bonds for the defunct Trenton sewer project.
