WEST WILDWOOD – West Wildwood Commissioner Joseph Segrest said a decrease in the county tax rate will help mitigate a 6-cent municipal tax rate increase this year.
Segrest said property owners would essentially see only a 3.5-cent tax rate increase after accounting for the reduction in the county tax rate.
The West Wildwood Board of Commissioners passed the borough’s nearly $3.5 million budget, April 6, with minimal citizen input during the public hearing. Segrest said the borough would raise about $2.7 million from local property taxes, which is about a 7.7% increase over 2022.
The borough will end up with a $392,000 surplus, which is an increase of $82,000 over 2022. Segrest said a portion of the surplus is used to fund the budget, noting, “We use the surplus to take the bump out of the road.”
Segrest highlighted a few of the reasons for the tax rate increase, including a $20,000 increase in the cost of liability insurance and a $70,000 increase in police department salaries and wages. The police department changed over to all full-time officers this year.
Segrest credited Administrator and Municipal Clerk Donna Frederick with keeping the cost of shared services flat.
