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    • Taxes in Lakewood will rise again, this time they could be twice as high as last year
    Idaho

    Taxes in Lakewood will rise again, this time they could be twice as high as last year

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

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    LAKEWOOD — Township residents will face an average $220 increase in municipal taxes next year — double what they will pay this year — if the proposed $159.4 million municipal budget is approved, officials said.

    The proposed 2024 budget, presented at the township’s Aug. 15 committee meeting, calls for a 24% increase over the current budget of $128 million, according to data.

    Officials attributed the increase primarily to staff and salary increases, which have risen sharply in recent years due to the growing population and increased demand for services.

    “About 75% of that is new employees, new salaries, benefits and everything they need to do their jobs,” said Mayor Ray Coles. “Many things have become more expensive. Due to the pandemic and supply chain issues, prices have gone up through the roof.”

    The proposed municipal budget is $159.5 million, not including school and county taxes, officials said.

    For an average home with an assessed value of $355,922, that represents a $240.40 increase in local taxes, more than double the current year’s average increase of $111.04.

    More: Lakewood is now the fourth largest city in New Jersey. Does it have the right government?

    The municipal committee will vote on the final municipal budget at its next meeting on September 12.

    In May, the Department of Education approved a budget of $309.1 million for 2024-2025, an increase of $34 million, or 12.6%, over the current year’s spending plan, officials said.

    This budget increases school taxes by 2.6%, which equates to an average property tax increase of $166.

    If the municipal budget is approved as presented, it will mean a total tax increase of more than $386 for the average homeowner next year. This does not include county and fire department taxes.

    “The public works department has hired 14 people, the emergency services department has hired two full-time and three part-time employees, and the engineering department now has seven full-time employees, up from two,” said Patrick Donnelly, the township’s executive director. “We’re doing a lot more in-house engineering and we’re looking to hire more hands-on employees as we grow. It’s a lot to keep up with.”

    Spending on parks and recreation increased 21 percent due to new playgrounds and equipment, he said. Overall salaries and wages increased 18 percent, while operating costs increased 28 percent.

    “It’s about equipment, insurance, pensions,” he said. “Overall, insurance costs have increased by 36%.”

    More: Candidate lists show that changes could be coming to the Lakewood School Board

    Cole said much of the cost went toward improving cybersecurity and other technical protections.

    “A big part of it is major server upgrades, new firewalls, the police are getting a new radio system that can’t be hacked by the public. It’s a security issue,” he said. “We try to keep it to the bare minimum because everything today is electronic and at risk of being hacked or stolen. We invest a lot to minimize the risk of a hack or cyberattack.”

    Donnelly agreed: “We stay at the forefront of technology every year.”

    Donnelly said the municipality has been able to secure more outside funding that does not burden taxpayers, and announced that state and federal grants have been increased from $4 million in 2023 to over $17 million for the new budget.

    “We are using all the resources at our disposal to obtain these grants,” he said. “We are not going to go out of our way to undertake projects if they are not necessary.”

    More: How Lakewood’s population growth boosted cash flow and spending

    The population has increased sharply from around 90,000 in 2010 to over 135,000 in 2020. Estimates now suggest that it is almost 150,000.

    Because of the large and growing Orthodox population, the youngest residents are the largest group. More than half (51%) are 19 years old or younger, while 22% of the population is 5 years old or younger, according to the U.S. Census.

    Compare that to the national average, which shows that 5% of the population is 5 years old and younger.

    As the population has grown, so has the need for services and municipal employees. The number of municipal employees has increased by 24% (from 403 to 519) since 2014, with the number of full-time employees increasing by 30% (from 367 to 483).

    Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 35 years of experience covering Lakewood and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of four books, including Killing Journalism about the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at [email protected] and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter and TruthSocial at @joestrupp

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    Madoc Meredith
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