By Allison Perrine
MONMOUTH COUNTY – Monmouth County Commissioners unanimously approved a $452.65 million budget May 27, a decrease of about $200,000 from last year.
First introduced Feb. 11, the budget was amended May 13 before its approval to eliminate a $6.1 million tax increase and reflect increased anticipated revenues to offset those costs.
“We knew what the public needed us to do. Everybody wants us to do something; obviously everybody wants taxes to be zero, but they needed it this time,” said Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone. “I commend my fellow commissioners for coming together and making the necessary adjustments to make government more affordable for our residents.”
The budget was set at $453 million as introduced, $317.6 million of which was to be raised by taxes and the remaining $135.4 million to be made in anticipated revenues. Now a $452.65 million budget, the total stands just shy of the 2020 $452.8 million budget. The commissioners’ salaries remain at $30,200, the same as last year when officials rolled their salaries back to 2008 figures due to impacts from the pandemic.
And according to a budget presentation by the county, responding to ongoing challenges associated with the pandemic was one of the main goals for this year’s spending plan. In 2020, the county experienced revenue decreases as a result of the state-mandated shutdowns, especially without golf courses and recreation programs operating. This year, the county anticipates bringing in over $9.3 million in parks and recreation fees alone. It’s also why the county amended the budget to keep the tax revenue stable at $311.5 million in 2021.
Other goals were to minimize tax impacts, maintain the county’s AAA bond rating and to identify areas for potential cost savings. The budget covers costs to maintain 1,000 miles of roads, over 900 bridges, 16,000 acres of parks, emergency management and communication services, elections and more. It reflects operational savings of about $5.5 million in health care costs, liability insurance, workers compensation and capital improvements, according to the county.
Of the total general revenues, the county anticipates having $36,375,000 in surplus, $54,326,757 in miscellaneous local revenues, $1,865,000 in nonrefundable developer agreements, $22,093,019 in special items of general revenue and $311,500,000 in taxation. Over the past 11 years, the county’s annual budget has decreased by $40.75 million from a peak of $493.4 million in 2010 to the current $452.65 million in 2021.
“The board continues to take a conservative approach to budgeting and focus on long-term planning,” said commissioner Nick DiRocco, liaison to the finance department. “The 2021 county budget is a sound financial plan, which will enable the county to provide the important public services that our residents need and expect while holding the line on taxes during this unprecedented time.”
The article originally appeared in the June 3 – 9, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
