MIDDLE TOWNSHIP INTRODUCES 2025 BUDGET

Middle Township formally introduced the municipality’s 2025 budget at the Township’s April 7th Public Meeting. The proposed budget was presented by Chief Financial Officer Neil Young and Leon Costello from the Township’s auditing firm, Ford, Scott and Associates.

Several factors contributed to upward pressures on the Township’s spending requirements:

  1. Loss of NJ Municipal Relief Fund Aid – $367,000
  2. Increase in healthcare premiums – $697,000
  3. Increase in contractual costs for trash and recycling from 2024 to 2025 – $394,000
  4. Increase in the Township’s contribution to funding the Cape May County Animal Shelter
  5. Contractual increases in employee salaries and wages

Mayor Leusner and Township Committee took several steps to mitigate the impact of increased expenditures:

  1. A growing and healthy surplus allowed for an increase in surplus utilization of $250,000.
  2. The Township’s ongoing efforts to diversify revenue streams created an increase in anticipated revenues from interest on investments, licensing fees, short term rental fees, hotel/motel tax, construction fees and business registration.
  3. Savings from Salaries and Wages related to departmental personnel adjustments and retirements.
  4. Total projected savings from newly negotiated service provider contracts of over a million dollars.

The 2025 budget as introduced calls for a 2.8 cent increase in the Municipal Levy.  The total tax rate is estimated to increase 3.34% over 2024, equating to a 2025 levy of $18,177,210. The municipal levy represents 29.72% of residents’ total tax bill.  School tax makes up 55% of the total tax bill.  County tax comprises 15.3%.

“Middle Township Committee is committed to providing quality municipal services at the most affordable cost to our taxpayers,” Mayor Leusner said. “We continue to work all-year round to mitigate cost increases, many of which are largely beyond our control. We look to tighten spending on the expenditures we do control and creatively diversify our municipal revenue streams. I applaud the hard work of our Administrator Kim Osmundsen, CFO Neil Young and our excellent Department Heads to deliver a financially prudent, well-structured 2025 budget.”