Putting together the 2024 municipal budget was a “challenging” task for Alicia Noon, who came into her new role as chief financial officer a year ago.
Mayor Robert Britting and members of the Township Committee thanked her for meeting the task as they held a public hearing and adopted the $40.69 million spending plan at a meeting in June.
The Committee voted 4-1 to approve the budget. Committeewoman Samantha Hand, who is the lone Democrat on the dais voted “no” citing an increase in debt service.
The municipal tax property rate is increasing by $0.015 per $100 of assessed value from $0.292 to $0.307.
The main components that make up a Hillsborough property owner’s tax bill includes the municipal property tax, fire district, the library, open space taxes, and the school district tax. The school portion is at 64.61% and the municipal portion at 13.56%.
Much of the increase was driven by salaries and wages with public safety at 24%, public works at 14% and municipal offices at 12%.
There are items outside the township’s control including insurance and benefits, pensions and deferred charges and debt service, which each make up a 9% increase, Noon said.
The increase in the municipal tax rate for 2024 is $82.05 for the year, $6.83 per month, or 23 cents per day for an average home value assessed at $547,000. The average homeowner’s annual taxes will go from $1,597.24 in 2023 to $1,679.29 annually or from $133.11 to $139.94 monthly.
Committeeman Shawn Lipani said they looked at the budget six to seven different ways. With feedback from the public, it was “made abundantly clear” that infrastructure, the upkeep of parks and recreation and addressing amenities needed to be a priority.
The 2024 municipal budget addresses all of that, Britting said.
“We prioritized safety, we prioritized infrastructure, we prioritized our park system, and we prioritized our department of public works,” he said, noting the hiring of four new police officers bringing the department complement to 65 officers.
The budget includes $4.5 million to upgrade 17 roads throughout the township, includes funds to upgrade numerous recreational facilities including pickleball and basketball courts, and funds for the DPW to continue sealing and filling gaps in the roads.
“2024 is when Hillsborough invests in its future,” Britting said. “… Our town is going in the right direction.”
