MANCHESTER – The township’s $51,906,670.44 municipal budget was adopted unanimously during the latest Township Council meeting following a presentation by Business Administrator Carl Block that had been prepared by Chief Financial Officer Jeannette Larrison and Mayor Joseph Hankins.
Mayor Hankins previously explained that of the total $51,906,670.44 budget, $32,059,595.80 will be raised through taxes. The rest comes from court fees, cell tower rentals, PILOT (Pay In Lieu Of Taxes) programs, state aid, surplus from prior years, hotel taxes, shared services and other revue streams.
“This budget reflects the township’s continued commitment to maintaining essential public services, investing in our community, and addressing rising operational costs while remaining fiscally responsible,” Hankins said.
He said the proposed municipal tax rate has an increase of 2.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation over last year’s tax rate. “For the average assessed home in this township, valued at $367,443, this equates to (an increase of) approximately $100 annually, or about $25 per quarter.”
Block explained that with healthcare costs increasing, the town left the state’s health benefits program.
He also noted an increase in gasoline costs by $50,000 “due to weather events and commercial costs. We also had remediation appropriations required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).” He explained that the Department of Environmental Protection required the township to “put money into the budget to pay for testing” at sites within the township.
Costs for emergency services increased by slightly more than $500,000, he said, due to an increase in calls. Last year the police department responded to 34,315 calls and so far this year they responded to 15,567. EMS responded to 14,535 calls last year and so far this year they have responded to 6,058 calls. The fire departments responded to 1,461 calls last year and so far this year there has been 683.
The township is anticipating its four sources of revenue that they get from the state: a police body armor grant, the national opioid settlement, municipal alliance grant and clean water funding. He said other grants were being applied for and involved specific projects and items.
Block further explained that the township is the collector of taxes for not only the municipal rate but for the school district and for the county portions. “We cover it all then cut a check to them.” He also noted that the budget accounts for uncollected taxes that still have to be paid. “We have a 98% collection rate; we are almost at 99% thanks to our tax collector’s office.”
Senior Population
Residents who came up to speak during the hearing recognized that the township has a large senior citizen population who are on fixed incomes. Some asked whether the Township Council and mayor had approached the state to provide some type of tax break for the township and its residents due to this but Block answered that the demographic of each town is not a consideration of the state when it comes to municipal budgets.
It was pointed out that separate senior discount programs such as ANCHOR which offers property tax relief to New Jersey residents who own or rent property in the state as their main home and meet certain income limits. There are also various prescription drug programs for eligible seniors.
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