Lawrence Township property owners will see a 2-cent increase in the municipal property tax rate under the proposed $49.1 million budget that was introduced at Lawrence Township Council’s March 19 meeting.
The municipal property tax rate will increase from 55 cents per $100 of assessed value to 57 cents.
This means that the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $281,285 would have the property tax rate increase by $56.26 – from $1,547.06 last year to $1,603.32 for 2019.
A public hearing and final action on the proposed budget has been set for Township Council’s April 16 meeting.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in the Township Council meeting room at the Municipal Building on Route 206.
The proposed 2019 municipal budget is $2.3 million more than last year’s budget of $46.8 million. Part of the increase is due to contractual obligations, such as salary increases, and the addition of new positions.
The main source of revenue to support the spending plan is property taxes. The amount to be raised by property taxes is $26.6 million for 2019, which is a $927,000 increase over the $25.7 million property tax levy for the 2018 budget.
The budget also anticipates using $5.6 million in surplus funds as a source of revenue, plus $3.9 million in state aid.
Miscellaneous revenues, such as liquor licences, fees and permits, Municipal Court fines and costs, the hotel and motel tax, and grants will generate an additional $16 million.
The budget includes money for a full-time police officer and for an additional Class III special police officer who will be assigned to one of the Lawrence Township Public Schools buildings, Municipal Manager Kevin Nerwinski said.
There is also money in the budget for a civilian employee whose time will be divided between the Police Department and the Department of Public Works, Nerwinski said.
At the Police Department, the civilian employee will help handle administrative tasks to enable a police officer to return to more police-related duties.
Across town at the Department of Public Works, the employee will help with enforcement of the new brush collection policy. He will work with residents and landscapers to educate them on compliance. A summons will be issued as a last resort.
A part-time position in the Recreation Department will be converted to a full-time position in order to improve outreach and communications to residents about the programs and activities offered by the department, Nerwinski said.
Township Council members were pleased with the budget.
Council member Michael Powers said the township has gone through some difficult time, resulting in some cuts. But now, there is an opportunity to make sure that the quality of services that residents expect will continue, he said.
“I agree,” Township Council member Cathleen Lewis said. “I think this helps to get us back to the level of services that our residents expect, and to prepare us for the future. Keeping property taxes stable is what the residents expect.”
Mayor Christopher Bobbitt said he appreciated listening to the department heads when they outlined their budgets and requests in front of Township Council. It provided him with a clearer understanding of their needs, he said.
Nerwinski said that he and Chief Financial Officer Peter Kiriakatis “never want to come to you and say we want a tax increase. We want to be responsible in how we do operate to provide the right services to the community.”
