West Windsor Township Council has adopted a $53.4 million municipal budget that keeps the tax rate flat for property owners in 2025.
The five-member Council voted unanimously to adopt the municipal budget with a zero-cent tax rate increase at the governing body’s May 19 meeting. The budget, which funds municipal operations for 2025, was first introduced in April.
“The municipal tax rate stays the same…so we have a zero increase on the local level,” said John Mauder, chief financial officer for West Windsor Township. “We do have another year of a zero-property tax rate increase.”
The proposed municipal tax rate will be 42.7 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for 2025. The owner of an average assessed home at $525,107 will pay $2,242 in municipal taxes.
Municipal taxes are one item on a property owner’s total tax bill, which also includes the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District taxes and Mercer County taxes.
The amount an individual pays in taxes is determined by the assessed value of his or her home and/or property, and the tax rate that is set by each taxing entity.
Property taxes are the main source of revenue supporting the budget. The total amount projected to be raised by property taxes for 2025 is $26.3 million.
On the revenue side, the projected budget revenues include $13.4 million in the use of surplus, which is a $3 million increase from 2024; $3.8 million from sewer service charges; $2.2 million from state aid (without offsetting appropriations); $900,000 from interest on investments and deposits; $421,128 from reserve for township rental property; $342,000 from recreation fees (pool memberships); $325,000 from municipal court; and $285,742 from fees and permits.
“Our total revenue is increased by ($3.2 million),” Mauder said. “We did have a good year this year for revenues. Even though, we are using $3 million in revenue our fund balance went up by $5 million.”
On the appropriations side of the budget, the budget will fund appropriations that include $5.2 million on municipal debt service, which is a $948,000 increase from 2024.
Additional appropriations include $8.5 million on the police department, $7.3 million toward insurance, $3.5 million towards the Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority, $2.35 million toward garbage and trash removal, $1.8 million on public works, $1.58 million on shared service agreements, and $1.48 million on utilities.
“The top three increases in our appropriations this year is as follows – note principal payment is the largest increase of $1.4 million. What that represents is our debt service that we start to pay down,” Mauder explained.
“The next increase is salary and wages of $872,190 and this includes the creation of seven new positions this year due to the growth in the township. That is two police officers, two emergency medical technician (EMTs), one fire, and two public works.”
The third largest increase was for garbage collection. “Just this year it is going up $321,000 and that is because we elected to go once a week during the summer instead of twice,” he added
