SEA GIRT — The 2023 municipal budget was adopted at the council meeting last Wednesday.
Taxpayers, on average, will be paying $4,184 in municipal taxes, an $140 increase from last year’s $4,044. This was calculated for the average assessed home in Sea Girt, which is $2,846,869, an increase of $660,692 in 2022.
Borough Administrator James Gant and Amy Spera, the borough’s chief financial officer, presented a PowerPoint highlighting all the aspects of the municipal budget, where all the money will be going and how the funds will be spent.
Highlights of the budget consist of $8,499,301 for total general revenues, including $5,410,308 to be raised by taxation and a minimum library tax of $1,035,171.
Capital improvements have been listed at $400,000 and the municipal debt service is expected to be $659,326. The total water-sewer utility budget appropriations are $2,022,116 and total beach utility budget appropriations are $1,791,402.
According to Mr. Gant, himself and Ms. Spera came up with a slogan to encompass what the borough budget means for Sea Girt and its residents. This year the slogan that they came up with was, “Stewards of Financial Responsibility.”
According to the presentation, the municipal taxes are spent on backyard garbage, bulk and recycling pickup, road plowing and maintenance, municipal library – separate tax, accredited police department and crossing guards, fire safety, full-time EMS service [shared service with Belmar, Manasquan and Lake Como], zoning and code enforcement, emergency management, enhanced recreation and parks maintenance, water plant and treatment management – water utility, sewer maintenance, lifeguard protection and beach management – funded through beach utility and administration/clerk services and election management.
For a full breakdown of the budget, visit seagirt-nj.gov/home/finance-department/pages/budgets.
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