Published on May 07, 2014

Mayor Janice S. Mironov announced that the 2014 Municipal Budget adopted on May 6 contains NO TAX INCREASE.

Mayor Mironov continued, “The East Windsor municipal component of the total local property tax bill remains at less than 15%. The East Windsor municipal tax component is among the lowest amounts in the entire region and well below the statewide average.” Mayor Mironov added, “And yet we continue to deliver a very high quality level of services to our residents.”

Mayor Mironov stated, “This is a fiscally conservative budget document which well serves our community; it retains all existing services and service levels and contains no employee reductions, or additions. In these challenging economic times, East Windsor has worked hard to keep our spending levels tight and continually seek out additional efficiencies, cooperative purchasing avenues and service sharing opportunities, and maintained a very low debt level. For example, through energy efficient upgrades in our buildings and participation in cooperative purchasing, we have significantly reduced our utility costs. This positive no tax increase outcome results from the pro-active efforts of the Township to carefully plan and to closely monitor expenditures and revenues throughout the year.”

“The municipal component of the local property tax bill remains at the same 2013 rate of 43.1 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. This would mean that for the 2014 average residence assessment of $258,987, the 2014municipal tax is $1116.”

Even with all of the spending challenges of increased group medical insurance costs, as well as snow and storm related expenses including overtime, salt and supplies, gasoline, vehicle repairs, the proposed 2014 municipal budget of $20,995,020 reflects a less than one (1%) percent (specifically .9%) increase over the 2013 municipal budget of $20,811,435. Municipal budget expenditures are $1,377,200 under the State appropriation caps.

The 2014 municipal tax levy amount is well below the available state cap levy amounts.

The 2014 municipal budget was crafted also facing many of the challenges of other towns throughout New Jersey, that is, a continuing plethora of property tax appeals and refunds, and a resulting adverse ratable base impact. Mayor Mironov noted that, “Unfairly, under New Jersey law, the municipality is responsible to pay for the defense of property tax appeals and in the case of successful appeals refund most of the taxes paid, even though they were never paid to or used for municipal purposes.”

Mayor Mironov noted that, “At the same time, the State of New Jersey continues to unjustly divert millions and millions of municipal dollars which belong to towns for property tax relief. For 2013 alone, East Windsor was shorted over $2.9 million in energy receipts, amounting to 11 cents on the municipal tax rate, over 25% of the total municipal tax. This State practice of withholding these property tax relief funds from our taxpayers needs to end.”