ABERDEEN – The members of the Township Council in Aberdeen Township have adopted a $22.03 million municipal budget for 2022.
During a May 5 meeting, Mayor Fred Tagliarini, Deputy Mayor Concetta B. Kelley, Councilman Greg Cannon, Councilman Arthur Hirsch, Councilman Joseph J. Martucci, Councilwoman Margaret Montone and Councilman Robert Swindle voted “yes” on a motion to adopt the budget.
The 2022 budget will be supported by the collection of $12.74 million in taxes from the township’s residential and commercial property owners. Budget documents indicated that $11.88 million will directly support the municipal budget and the remaining $860,000 will support the local library.
Municipal officials said $1.25 million will be appropriated from the township’s surplus fund (savings) to be used as revenue in the budget and $8.04 million in revenues from other sources will fund the balance of the budget.
In 2021, the municipal budget also totaled $22.03 million. A local tax levy of $12.94 million was collected from the township’s residential and commercial property owners.
Of that total tax levy a year ago, $12.13 million supported the municipal budget and $816,000 supported the library. Officials appropriated $1.23 million from surplus to be used as revenue and $7.86 million in revenues from other sources funded the balance of the budget.
From 2021 to 2022, total budget appropriations have remained the same and the tax levy has decreased by $200,000.
Municipal officials have not responded to requests from the Independent for information regarding Aberdeen Township’s municipal tax rate for 2022, the average assessment of a home in the township or the impact of the 2022 budget on a property owner’s municipal taxes.
Municipal taxes are one item on a property owner’s tax bill, which also includes Monmouth County taxes and Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District taxes.
The total amount of taxes an individual pays is determined by the assessed value of his home and/or property, and the tax rate that is set by each taxing entity.
Selected appropriations in Aberdeen Township’s 2022 municipal budget include the following line items: police patrol salaries and wages, $5.07 million; employee group insurance, $1.80 million; payment to Police and Fireman’s Retirement System of New Jersey, $1.41 million; payment of bond principal, $1.63 million; interest on bonds, $948,625; road repair salaries and wages, $924,561; safe and secure communities salaries and wages (matching portion), $601,666; payment to Public Employees Retirement System, $505,856; capital improvement fund, $490,000; parks and playgrounds salaries and wages, $389,278; construction official salaries and wages, $382,066; payment to Social Security System, $360,000; legal services salaries and wages, $289,600; and recreation salaries and wages, $254,740.
Those 14 line items total about $15 million and account for approximately 69% of the total $22.03 million budget.
