Jackson budget totals $38.9M for '07
Residents get a break as tax rate stays stable after large increase in 2006
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

The Jackson Township Council has voted to approve a $38,964,593 municipal budget for 2007. Following a year in which the municipal tax rate rose 20 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, the new budget holds the municipal tax rate at the present level of 79.39 cents per $100.

The 2007 budget is $1 million higher than the 2006 spending package.

"The bottom line is the budget is $1 million (higher) over last year," Business Administrator William Santos said at the April 24 budget hearing. "The tax rate remains at the level it was last year. I think the numbers are straightforward."

Santos said the budget has been posted on Jackson's Internet Web site. He thanked resident Paul Mayerowitz for his assistance in scanning information into the Web site. There are 1,700 pages of backup material, Santos said.

The approved budget is expected to raise $23.5 million in local taxes, an increase of $1 million from the 2006 tax levy.

With a municipal tax rate of 79.39 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, the owner of a home assessed at $200,000 will continue to pay $1,588 in municipal taxes in 2007, the same amount as in 2006. The owner of a home assessed at $300,000 will continue to pay $2,382 in municipal taxes in 2007, the same amount as in 2006.

The owner of a home assessed at $400,000 will continue to pay $3,176 in municipal taxes in 2007, the same amount as in 2006. The owner of a home assessed at $500,000 will continue to pay $3,969 in municipal taxes in 2007, the same amount as in 2006.

An overview of the budget that was distributed at the council's April 24 meeting indicated that in regard to property taxes, there will be an increase of $1 million in the amount to be raised by taxation, which will come from new ratables.

For the 2007 budget, revenues (income) will total $38.9 million and will be obtained from property taxes, $23.5 million (60 percent of total revenues); surplus, $5.1 million (13 percent of total revenues); delinquent taxes, $1.2 million (3 percent of total revenues); state aid, $4.8 million (13 percent of total revenues); Uniform Construction Code fees $1.7 million, a decrease of $300,000 from 2006, (4 percent of total revenues); and miscellaneous revenue, $2.5 million (7 percent of total revenues).

General appropriations for 2007 include: public safety, $10.4 million, a net increase of $497,479 from 2006; capital improvements, $330,000, an increase of $80,000 from 2006; debt service, $4 million, an increase of $648,403 from 2006; insurance, pension payments and Social Security, $6.7 million, an increase of $664,238 from 2006; reserve for uncollected taxes, $2.4 million, an increase of $189,143 from 2006; Uniform Construction Code, $2 million, a decrease of $111,678 from 2006; public works, $5.9 million, a decrease of $161,238 from 2006; recreation and senior services, $949,772, a decrease of $126,344 from 2006; utilities, $1.6 million, a decrease of $2,970 from 2006; and general government, $4.3 million, a decrease of $670,977 from 2006.

Total anticipated appropriations for 2007 are up 2.265 percent over 2006.

The analysis also provided estimated 2007 tax rates for other taxes paid by property owners, including a school tax rate of $2.32 per $100 of assessed valuation; an Ocean County tax rate of 60 cents per $100; a county library tax rate of 6.5 cents per $100; a county health tax rate of 2.7 cents per $100; a county open space tax rate of 2.6 cents per $100; a municipal open space tax rate of 2.9 cents per $100; and a fire district tax rate (averaged) of 14.5 cents per $100.

The total property tax rate in Jackson is slightly more than $4 per $100 of assessed valuation, which means the owner of a home assessed at $200,000 pays a total property tax bill of about $8,000. The owner of a home assessed at $300,000 pays a total property tax bill of about $12,000.

The owner of a home assessed at $400,000 pays a total property tax bill of about $16,000. The owner of a home assessed at $500,000 pays a total property tax bill of about $20,000.

According to information provided by township officials, school taxes amount to 57 percent of the total property taxes paid; municipal taxes amount to 20 percent of the total property taxes paid; county taxes amount to 19 percent of the total property taxes paid; and the fire district tax amounts to about 4 percent of the total property taxes paid.