ROXBURY, NJ – The Roxbury Township Council on Tuesday approved a 2024 budget that will impose a 1.8 percent increase in municipal taxes.

The $32.8 million township budget will cost the owner of an average house in the township about $40 more, according to Roxbury Township Finance Director Valerie Wyble. She said the average assessed value of a house in Roxbury is $343,134.

The municipal tax represents only about 25 percent of the annual tax bill; the schools are the main source of taxation – representing about 64 percent.

The school district’s proposed new budget is expected to be approved by the Roxbury School Board on April 29. Although the new school budget of $83.4 million is smaller than the current $84.1 million budget, it will require a tax levy increase of about $1.2 million.

The proposed school budget, if approved, would bring a 1.754 percent school tax increase, said Roxbury Schools Business Administrator Joseph Mondanaro.

"The owner of a $300,000 home can see an increase over last year of about $62," he said. "Last year a home valued at $300,000 was projected at $5,172 in (school) taxes. This coming year the projection is $5,234.

Other elements of Roxbury property owners' tax bills are the Morris County tax, county and township open space fund taxes and the Roxbury Public Library tax. The Morris County Board of County Commissioners recently adopted a 2024 county budget tonight with no increase in the tax rate.

Last year, Roxbury Township Manager John Shepherd and Wyble produced a municipal budget that required no increase in taxes. Despite being unable to do the same this year, town officials say they did their best to minimize the impact of inflation and other budgetary impacts.

“I think it’s a responsible budget,” said Roxbury Councilman Bob DeFillippo at Tuesday’s meeting. “We went through it line-by-line.” The councilman thanked the township government staff for its efforts related to the budget preparation.

“I always like to compliment the staff for the work they put into it,” he said. Our colleague (Councilman) Jim Rilee is the ‘fiscal watchdog’ of Roxbury. He’s not here tonight to vote on it, but he was a tremendous influence and his leadership is always appreciated.”

The proposed municipal budgets are examined in detail by the township council at special budget meetings open to the public, a procedure that differs from the one used by the school district, where the school board does not publicly dissect budgets before they are presented for approval by the district administration.

Roxbury School Board President Leo Coakley said most of the spending in the school district is not subject to possible reduction, being locked in by union contracts and other “non-discretionary” factors.

The school district's financial planning was rocked this year by the unanticipated loss of nearly $1.9 million in state aid. Mondanaro pointed out that the 2023-2024 school budget came with a 1.724 percent school tax increase over the 2022-2023 spending plan, suggesting that this year's tax increase isn't much more despite the big cut in state aid.

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Author : Fred J. Aun

Source Url : https://www.tapinto.net/towns/roxbury/sections/government/articles/new-roxbury-budget-includes-1-8-percent-tax-increase

News Source : https://www.tapinto.net/towns/roxbury/sections/government/articles/new-roxbury-budget-includes-1-8-percent-tax-increase