TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—An average homeowner here will pay another $140 in annual taxes for the $14.3 million 2022-2023 municipal budget the council approved, 4-1, at its May 16 meeting.
During a seven-minute discussion, with no public comments received, the council passed the budget with minimal explanation about increases or decreases in specific budget categories.
The average Washington Township home is assessed at $465,000, said officials. Officials said of the $140 average tax increase, $126 would be for municipal purposes and $14 for the public library.
Voting in favor were council president Desserie Morgan, vice president Stacey Feeney, and members Tom Sears and Daisy Velez.
Opposing was councilman Steven Cascio. He did not explain his vote.
Senior Manager Alex Barrese, of Lerch, Vinci & Higgins LLP, Fair Lawn, said the 2022 municipal budget shows a $740,780 increase over last year, increasing by 5.43%. He said two other municipal budgets he had worked on showed approximately 3.5% increases.
The total 2022-2023 budget was $14,378,611 versus the 2021-2022 tab of $13,637,831.
The local tax levy, or amount taxpayers must account for, was $9,884,587 versus the 2021-2022 tab of $9,431,600, an increase of $452,987, or 4.8%.
Mayor Peter Calamari asked Barrese if the remaining municipal surplus, approximately $1,949,987, constituted a “healthy surplus” remaining for the town.
Barrese replied that the township used approximately 48% of its fund balance in the 2022 budget “and if I look back the prior years it’s been 52% and 46%, so you’re about between the 46 and 52% range.”
Barrese said the recently adopted Westwood regional school budget projects an increase of $107 for the average homeowner.
The approved municipal budget is posted on the township website.