NJ 101.5 Report: Scotch Plains Municipal Taxes are Lowest Portion of Property Tax Bill
With Tight Fiscal Management, Scotch Plains is Bucking Statewide Trend
SCOTCH PLAINS – June 13, 2022 – On average, about 30% of a property tax bill in New Jersey is earmarked for municipal taxes, the remainder funds the public schools, the county and, in some other towns, fire districts.
A new report from NJ 101.5 shows that municipal taxes in Scotch Plains are drastically lower than most other towns in the state, relative to the rest of the property tax bill. In Scotch Plains, the municipal portion is only 15.4%, or $2,147 for the owner of an average assessed home.
“This report further underscores how Scotch Plains is able to provide quality municipal services at a rate that is considerably less than other suburban communities,” said Town Manager Al Mirabella. “We approach our budgeting based only on what the municipality needs to operate. Every year, our department directors and chiefs must justify every line item in their respective budgets to Administration and the Town Council. The net result is a streamlined, efficient spending plan, evident in our comparably low municipal tax rate.”
The report shows Scotch Plains has the lowest percentage for municipal taxes, based on the total tax bill, in Union County.
Municipal taxes fund all essential services from the police department, to the public works department, to building and code enforcement, to recreation, to the general operation of the municipality. Special programs, such as the Memorial Day parade, Independence Day fireworks and concerts, mostly rely on the generosity of sponsors.
“Our Township Council is committed to strong fiscal management, which directly leads to the stabilized municipal tax rate achieved over the past couple of years,” said Scotch Plains Mayor Josh Losardo. “Our governing body takes a very active role in the administration’s budget process, identifying expenditures that are absolutely needed and directly questioning other funding requests. We demand that the municipality runs like a household budget. If the money is not readily available, it is not spent.”