By Andrew Martins
Staff Writer
JACKSON -The Township Council has adopted a $41.8 million budget to fund the operation of the municipality in 2016.
The budget was adopted on April 26.
Council President Robert Nixon praised the work of department heads, Business Administrator Helene Schlegel and her staff for developing a budget that puts a “positive emphasis on the future of the community.”
The budget is “strengthening our surplus, which is at the highest level it has been at in more than a decade, which is really impressive considering the financial condition that every municipality in the state faced,” Nixon said. “I think this really is a good vehicle for us to move the town forward.”
The $41.8 million budget will be supported in part through the collection of $30.9 million in taxes from Jackson’s residential and commercial property owners. Officials will use about $3 million from surplus funds (savings) as revenue in the budget.
In 2015, a $41.6 million budget was supported through the collection of a $30.3 million tax levy. The budget used $2.65 million from surplus funds as revenue. In 2015, the average home in Jackson was assessed at $325,216 and the owner of that home paid $1,480 in municipal taxes.
The 2016 budget shows the municipal tax rate increasing from 45.5 cents to 46.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The average home is assessed at $325,748 and that individual will pay $1,511 in municipal taxes — an increase of $31.
The increase in the tax rate will have a different impact on each property owner depending on the assessed value of his home and/or property.
Municipal taxes are one component of a property owner’s total tax bill. Property owners also pay Jackson School District taxes, Ocean County taxes and other assessments.
Officials said school taxes account for 57 percent of a property owner’s tax bill, municipal taxes account for 21 percent, county taxes account for 15 percent and fire district taxes account for 4 percent. Other assessments make up the remaining 3 percent.
Schlegel has said about 90 percent of the properties in Jackson are residential, leaving homeowners to shoulder most of the responsibility when it comes to funding the budget. She said officials are trying to attract more non-residential uses to the community.
State aid to Jackson has remained flat at $3.4 million for 2016.
Approximately $2.89 million in anticipated capital expenses for 2016 include the acquisition of new vehicles and equipment for the Department of Public Works, new police vehicles and equipment, and engineering and road project expenses.
Significant appropriations in the budget include $12.1 million for law enforcement and emergency services (about $10.7 million of that total will be spent on police salaries). Municipal salaries and wages are budgeted at $18.2 million. The Department of Public Works will receive $4.8 million, with $2.6 million of that amount appropriated for salaries.
“The budget, I think, focuses heavily on our key priorities of public safety, code enforcement and quality of life,” Nixon said. “It does it under the mandated 2 percent tax levy cap from the state and it does it without any exceptions or any tricks or gimmicks … and that is to the credit of the administrator and her team.”
