By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
UPPER FREEHOLD – The Township Committee has adopted a $5.45 million budget that will fund the operation of Upper Freehold Township in 2016. A unanimous vote by members of the governing body put the spending plan in place on April 21.
The $5.45 million budget will be supported by the collection of $2.73 million in taxes from Upper Freehold’s residential and commercial property owners. Other revenue includes $1.1 million from surplus funds (savings), $518,481 in state aid and $136,000 in miscellaneous local revenues, according to the budget.
The municipal tax rate is expected to rise from 21.6 cents per $100 of assessed valuation in 2015 to 22.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation in 2016. The average home in Upper Freehold is assessed at $465,000 in 2016 and the owner of that home will pay about $1,043 in municipal taxes this year.
Municipal taxes are one component of a property owner’s tax bill, which also includes Monmouth County taxes, Upper Freehold Regional School District taxes and other assessments.
Among the other assessments is a local open space tax that will raise $731,128 to be used for the preservation and acquisition of open space parcels in Upper Freehold. All property owners will pay a portion of that total amount.
Municipal officials provided an estimate of the total property tax bill the owner of a home that is assessed at the township average of $465,000 will pay in 2016. That individual will pay $1,043 in municipal taxes, $1,507 in Monmouth County taxes, $8,243 in Upper Freehold Regional School District taxes and $279 in municipal open space taxes, for a total of $11,072, according to the information provided.
One item that has been an issue in recent years is the support for local firefighting services that is a shared cost between Allentown and Upper Freehold Township.
According to a chart provided by Upper Freehold, in 2007, the total cost of firefighting services was $324,821. Allentown paid 19 percent ($62,030) and Upper Freehold paid 81 percent ($262,791).
In subsequent years the division of the costs for firefighting services has swung in Upper Freehold’s favor as municipal officials sought a more equitable division of the payments.
In 2016, the total cost of firefighting services will be $497,950. Allentown will pay 27.5 percent ($136,936) and Upper Freehold will pay 72.5 percent ($361,014), according to the budget information provided.
According to budget documents posted on the township’s website, selected appropriations in Upper Freehold’s 2016 budget include the following: municipal debt service, $1.59 million; employee group health insurance, $379,599; road repairs and maintenance, salaries and wages, $104,500; general liability insurance, $60,000; and workers compensation insurance, $27,500.
Upper Freehold has 20 full-time employees, which includes five firefighters, and eight part-time employees, according to the budget documents. The township does not have a police department; police coverage is provided by the New Jersey State Police. Upper Freehold had a population of 6,900 residents according to a 2014 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau.
