WHITE TOWNSHIP [February 13, 2004] – Warren County’s proposed 2004 Budget is available for public inspection on the official Warren County Web Site, found at www.co.warren.nj.us.
The Board of Chosen Freeholders introduced the budget at the February 11 meeting, and set a public hearing on the spending plan for Wednesday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the Freeholders Meeting Room of the Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building, 165 County Route 519 South in White Township, just south of Belvidere.
This is the third consecutive year that the full budget document has been posted on the County web site for public review. Budget summaries and other financial information also are available on the web site.
The $88.69 million budget would be funded by $50.70 million in local property taxation and $37.99 million in other revenue, including as state and federal grants. The freeholders anticipate that the equalized County tax rate, which was 56.12 cents per $100 of property in 2003, will be reduced by 1 cent, a 1.8 percent reduction.
“The Freeholder Board has made every effort to craft a budget that contains no reductions in programs or services to Warren County residents, while still providing prudent fiscal management for the benefit of taxpayers,” Freeholder Director Richard D. Gardner said. “Additionally, due to the County’s increasing population, County services are being extended to a greater number of residents, but every effort is being made to hold costs to a minimum,” Gardner added.
Preparation of the 2004 County Budget “once again presented the Freeholder Board with many difficult choices. We believe that the 2004 Budget balances the needs of Warren County’s residents with our ability to pay for these services,” Gardner remarked.
Freeholders John DiMaio and Everett Chamberlain joined with Gardner to unanimously vote to introduce the budget.
This would be the fifth year in a row to see a cut in the estimated, equalized County tax rate. “This was accomplished despite increased costs of contractual obligations for salaries and wages, and increases in the rates to provide employee health benefits,” Gardner said. These higher prices for health benefits are consistent with uncontrolled inflationary factors seen in the health insurance industry nationwide.
The budget plans for the future, containing funding to begin moving forward on long-delayed capital projects, including a headquarters for the Warren County Free Public Library system and improvements to the historic Warren County Courthouse.
“Money is included to secure appropriate bonding, but the Freeholder Board is moving forward in such a way as to maintain our favorable bond rating and avoid laying exorbitant bonding costs at the doorsteps of our children,” Gardner said.
Warren County also is continuing on its path of preserving farmland and securing open space. In late 2003, Warren County achieved a milestone of preserving 10,000 acres of farmland, and the Freeholder Board intends to continue, if not accelerate, the pace of preservation acquisitions, Gardner said.
“These acquisitions are important for the stability of our regional economy, to prevent overdevelopment that strains municipal, school and county budgets, and to keep the region’s roads from becoming overcrowded. The Freeholder Board is resolute about maintaining its course on farmland and open space preservation to keep our bucolic county pristine to the best of our ability, for our children and generations to come,” according to Gardner’s budget message that accompanies the spending plan.
“The 2004 County Budget reflects the dedication of the employees serving Warren County to be fiscally responsible but provide quality services, and in some instances, higher levels of service. This spending plan is a testament to their creativity and hard work,” Gardner said.