The typical taxpayer in Frelinghuysen Township see an increase in property taxes of $12.76 in 2022 under the municipal budget passed on June 15.
The township committee approved a spending plan of $2,027,003, an increase of $279,718 over the previous year. The portion of the budget is $868,471, which comes in at $17,092 under the state-mandated cap of $885,563.
“This is a good budget,” said Frelinghuysen Mayor Keith Ramos. “We’ve been fiscally conservative for the past few years.”
Bring the budget in well under the cap was an important accomplishment, Ramos added.
In addition, Ramos said the budget will continue to pay down debts from capital projects on a “pay-as-you-go” basis. ”The ultimate goal of this committee is to pay down existing debt,” he said.
Ramos pointed to the recently completed salt sheds behind town hall and the Department of Public Works, where the township’s supply of road salt is stored.
State guidelines call for road salt to be stored in a manner that keeps it as protected from rain and precipitation as possible. Runoff from stored salt can find its way into streams and water supplies. In addition to harming the environment, the salt lost from runoff is literally money down the drain.
Salt supplies during recent winters ran low in many states because of upheaval in the industry as well as supply chain issues.
“We’re a small town,” Ramos said. “Everything matters.”
Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer
Joe was lured out of retirement by the opportunity to be a part of The Ridgeview Echo. During a decades-long career in publishing and journalism, he has covered government on many levels from local school boards to the United States Supreme Court.
Along the way, Joe has worked at American Lawyer Magazine, The National Law Journal and The Record among other publications, and as the Press Officer of Columbia Law School. His work has been recognized with several first place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New Jersey Press Association.
Being part of the Ridgeview Echo brings Joe back to his roots and the kind of news coverage he loves: Telling the stories of people and local communities as well as keeping an eye on how their money is spent by their government officials.
Joe lives in Blairstown with his wife Rose, the founder of Quilting for a Cause, and their two wiener dogs. He is an artist in his spare time.
