The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has introduced a $452.8 million budget to fund the operation of the county during 2020.
The budget was introduced during a meeting on March 12 in Freehold Borough. Voting “yes” on a motion to introduce the budget were Freeholder Director Thomas Arnone and freeholders Lillian Burry, Patrick Impreveduto, Sue Kiley and Dominick DiRocco.
In a resolution the freeholders passed to introduce the budget, appropriations listed for 2020 include the following categories: $100.4 million for public safety; $61.3 million for debt service; $56.3 million for insurance; $43.95 million for human services and health; $40.3 million for statutory expenses; $37.46 million for education; $35.88 million for public works; $29.93 million for general government; and $22 million for parks and recreation.
According to a budget presentation, county officials are projecting the following revenues in 2020: $311.5 million to be raised from the county’s residential and commercial property owners in a tax levy; $54 million in miscellaneous revenues; $36.5 million to be appropriated from the fund balance (savings); $20.75 million in state aid; $7.78 million in state and federal revenues offset with appropriations; and $22.21 million in other special items.
A public hearing on the budget will be held at 2 p.m. on April 7 at the Monmouth County Hall of Records, 1 E. Main St., Freehold Borough.
At that time, comments about the budget may be made by taxpayers and other interested individuals, according to the resolution.
The impact of the 2020 budget on a property owner’s tax bill will not be known until a county tax rate for each of the county’s 53 municipalities is determined. The county taxes a property owner pays will be determined by the county tax rate that is established for his municipality and the assessed value of his property.
County taxes are one item on a property owner’s overall tax bill, which also includes municipal taxes, school taxes and other assessments.
The budget was presented to the freeholders and members of the public by Monmouth County Director of Finance Craig R. Marshall, who said that in 2020, the county “will continue to maintain our level of services for residents.”
The goals that were pursued during the development of the budget included an emphasis on shared services, minimizing the tax impact on property owners, protecting the county’s AAA bond rating and identifying areas for operational efficiency, Marshall said.
In 2019, the county budget totaled $449.6 million. Residential and commercial property owners paid $305.5 million in taxes to support the budget. Other revenues included $37 million from the fund balance, $55.93 million in miscellaneous revenues and $19.1 million in state aid.
In 2018, the county budget totaled $447.95 million. Residential and commercial property owners paid $304 million in taxes to support the budget. Other revenues included $40 million from the fund balance, $52.23 million in miscellaneous revenues and $21.23 million in state aid.
Monmouth County’s budget covers the cost of providing maintenance for 1,000 lane miles of roads, more than 900 bridges, 17,000 acres of county parks, emergency management, 911 communications, law enforcement through the prosecutor’s office and the sheriff’s office, elections, deed recording and passport services in the county clerk’s office, probate and adoptions through the surrogate’s office, and more, according to a press release.
As of the 2016 Census estimate, Monmouth County’s population was 625,846.
