The $313 million budget, adopted on June 23, will increase the property tax rate to 59 cents per $100 of assessed value
TRENTON -- Mercer County taxpayers will notice an increase in the tax rate under the new budget adopted by freeholders on Thursday, County Executive Brian Hughes announced.
The $313 million budget will increase the property tax rate to 59 cents per $100 of assessed value, up from 58 cents in 2015. The rate was 60 cents in 2014.
The budget calls for $256 million to be raised by taxation -- an increase of $1 million from the proposal Hughes presented in February.
"The development of the budget is a difficult task, as we try to balance the needs of taxpayers with the desire to maintain services," Hughes said. "The Freeholders and my Administration scrutinized this budget to search for ways to reduce spending. Every cent is committed to the quality of life of our residents, and carefully managing county finances is our most important duty as a regional government."
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The plan will use $9.9 million in surplus -- about half of the county's surplus -- leaving a $10 million balance.
The county's open space tax rate was set at 2.5 cents, the same as last year. This tax, voters approved up to 3 cents per $100 of equalized value.
About 70 percent of the expenditures are fixed and will go toward salaries, wages and benefits for employees.
About half of the operating budget will go toward public safety, including the prosecutor's office, the sheriff's office, the Police Academy and Department of Corrections, Hughes said.
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