YOUR COUNTY PROPERTY TAXES LOOK SET TO INCREASE 2%
The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders revealed the proposed budget for 2019. The budget includes a 2% increase in property taxes.
Recall that your property tax bill has four parts: School (about 48% of total); Harding Municipal (about 24%), Harding Open Space (a few percent) and Morris County (about 24%).
Morris County is budgeting $315.3 million in spending for 2019, up 3.1% from 2018. Total tax levy of $243.m, is up 2.6%. The rest of the revenues come from non-tax sources. With the ratable base in the County estimated to increase 0.6% the tax rate can increase only 2% to yield the needed funds.
The Freeholders’ highlighted the following items in the budget: Road and bridge maintenance ($20.7M); County College of Morris advance manufacturing and engineering center ($9.3M); law enforcement equipment ($8M), Building Maintenance projects ($6.7M).
Increases in Health care, pension, debt service and park commission were highlighted as drivers of expense increases.