Freeholders introduce $358M county budget
The Ocean County Board of Freeholders has introduced a $358 million spending package for 2008 that continues to provide all essential services and programs to Ocean County residents while maintaining a stable county property tax rate.

"This board pledges annually that there will be no surprises to the county taxpayer when it comes to the Ocean County budget and this year is no different," Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari said. "I want to assure our residents that Ocean County government, because of the long-standing fiscal policies we have had in place, is financially sound now and will be in the future."

Vicari noted that under the introduced 2008 Ocean County budget, the freeholders will continue to maintain the 620 miles of county roads, two golf courses, the county park system, and all county facilities.

"We will continue our programs and services including transportation and nutritional programs for seniors, veterans programs and programs for those that are struggling because of difficult financial situations," Vicari said.

According to a press release from the county, the budget does not include any new positions and will cut back spending in some areas including overtime and current capital expenditures in order to keep the county property tax rate stable and to adjust to a changing economy.

Under the proposed budget, the Ocean County property tax rate would be reduced slightly to .253 cents per $100 of equalized property value or about onetenth of a cent less than the 2007 rate. County property taxes on a house assessed at $300,000 would be about $761 for the year under the proposed budget, $5 less than last year.

The proposed budget totals $358,939,823, up $14.9 million or 4.35 percent from 2007.

The amount to be raised by taxation is $276,305,117, up $12,744,788, of which $3.2 million comes from new construction and new taxpayers.

The county expects to use about $25 million from its surplus fund to support the 2008 budget, according to the press release.

County taxes are one assessment that a property owner pays as part of his total tax bill. Other components of the bill include municipal taxes and school taxes.

Vicari warned that because of the changes in the economy Ocean County cannot continue to simply pick up and fund programs and services originally created and implemented by the state or federal governments.

The proposed 2008 county budget includes an additional $1.1 million for the Ocean County Vocational-Technical School System and $561,000 to Ocean County College.

The budget also includes the needed funds to expand the Ocean County jail to meet a growing inmate population, and to continue construction of new facilities in southern Ocean County replacing structures that have aged.

Funding also will be provided for the continued construction of new truck wash facilities to meet the state's requirements for storm water management.

"We know the importance of protecting our environment," Freeholder James F. Lacey said. "Making this investment now will be beneficial to our rivers, streams and waterways far into the future."

Freeholder Gerry P. Little noted that funding for the Ocean County Board of Social Services, which is the primary agency that helps the needy and less fortunate, will increase by $950,000 this year.

Noting that the demand for the services

of the Ocean County Construction Inspection division has lessened substantially, resulting in the county disbanding the division, Bartlett has said the county would continue to further review department functions and overtime expenditures during the year.

"After a thorough review of overtime appropriations, we have cut the overall overtime budget by $1 million in 2008," Bartlett noted. "Department heads will have to further prioritize how overtime is used in their respective departments."

Bartlett noted that most departmental expenses are flat. He noted one area of increase is in the office of the county clerk, which oversaw an additional election primary this year at a cost of $682,000.

About $2.5 million has been slashed from the county's current capital expenditures, according to the press release.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for the freeholders' March 19 meeting which begins at 4 p.m. in room 119 of the Ocean County Administration Building, 119 Hooper Ave., Toms River.

The budget can be viewed online on the Ocean County Internet Web site at co.ocean.nj.us and at branches of the Ocean County Library.