Mt. Laurel residents will see their municipal tax bill stay flat if the township sticks to the 2016 municipal budget introduced at Mt. Laurel Township council’s March 7 meeting.
According to township manager Maureen Mitchell, this year’s budget municipal budget totals about $38 million but currently does not require a tax increase to reach that figure.
Mitchell noted that the township was able to avoid a tax increase in the proposed budget despite recently facing a $26 million reduction in ratables stemming from a number of tax appeals, from mostly commercial properties, in the township due to the property revaluation process the township underwent several years ago.
“We’ve been able to keep everything down and restructure our spending in order to make a zero increase,” Mitchell said.
Mayor Lind Bobo also noted that when looking at a resident’s total annual tax bill, only about 12 percent of those funds go toward the municipality.
Bobo outlined all the services those funds cover, including police, animal control services, emergency medical services, the office of emergency management, trash removal and disposal, snow removal, township administration, public works, the community services and open space maintenance, township events and more.
“We’re actually such a small sliver of the pie chart compared to the other taxing entities.” Bobo said.
Now that council has adopted a resolution introducing the proposed budget, a public hearing and potential final adoption of the budget is currently scheduled for council’s April 11 meeting at 7 p.m.
During that time Mitchell said she would also give a more in depth presentation of the final budget, at which time members of the public would also be able to comment.
In other news:
— Council approved a resolution accepting a grant the state attorney general’s office to help offset the cost of the Mt. Laurel Police Department outfitting its officers with body cameras.
At council’s previous meeting on Feb. 22 Mt. Laurel Police Chief Dennis Cribben outlined his hopes for the program, which he said would allow every officer working in a patrol capacity to have a camera on their person during their shift.
At that meeting Cribben stated his belief that the cameras would hold Mt. Laurel officers to higher standards of accountability while also helping expedite false allegations against officers.
— The seventh annual Taste of Mt. Laurel event will be held on March 17 at Harrington Middle School from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Local business will provide residents with an opportunity to sample their foods in a community atmosphere.
— The annual Spring Egg hunt at Paws Farm Nature Center will take place, rain or shine, on Saturday, March 19.
Little ones and their families can join the sunshine rabbit to find eggs, stickers and candy. Participants are asked to bring a basket to collect their eggs.
The cost is $10 prior to the event or $15 the day of the event, with the earliest age group starting at 10 a.m.
For more information visit www.pawsfarm.com
— The next meeting of the Mt. Laurel Township Council is currently scheduled for March 21 at 7 p.m.
