The Cape May City Council has adopted a $28 million general fund budget for 2025 that calls for no increase in the local purpose tax rate, the fifth year in a row in which the city has not raised the rate.
No member of the public chose to speak at the public hearing May 20 on the budget, with Mayor Zach Mullock saying, “I guess that’s what happens when there is no increase.”
The city budget also contains an additional $13.5 million in appropriations for the city’s three self-financing utilities. The utilities receive their revenue from user fees rather than property taxes.
The Water and Sewer Utility budget is $7.6 million. The Beach Utility is budgeted at $4.3 million, and the Tourism Utility is budgeted at $1.6 million.
The $10.9 million property tax levy represents the lowest ratio of tax levy to total appropriations in the county. The local purpose tax rate will remain at $0.361. A home assessed at $750,000 will pay $2,707 in municipal taxes.
