West Cape May Approves Less Than Penny Tax Increase

WEST CAPE MAY — Borough Commission approved its 2012 budget Wed., April 18, which includes less than a one-cent increase in the local purpose tax rate.
The tax rate is increasing from 33.7 to 34.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, an increase of eight-tenths of one cent.
The owner of a $500,000 home will see an increase in their property tax from $1,685 to $1,725, an increase of $40.
Only one member of the public attended the meeting and did not comment on the budget.
The amount to be raised by taxes is $1.5 million of a total budget of $2.1 million. The local purpose tax is up $43,000 from last year.
Total salary and wages is $380,490 up from $374,350 last year.
The borough is spending $103,000 on employee health insurance. A total of $253,000 is used in the budget from the borough’s surplus account, down from $434,000 last year.
The borough will receive $34,000 in rent from the City of Cape May for a police substation at Borough Hall.
West Cape May will spend $74,500 on salaries for municipal court staff. The borough has budgeted $150,000 for legal fees. The borough budgeted $115,000 for trash removal.
The budget appropriates $169,000 for debt service.
In its capital budget, the borough has earmarked $75,000 for improvements to municipal buildings and $450,000 for water/sewer improvements.
The borough’s water sewer budget totals $903,000.
Auditor Leon Costello said the budget meets all state caps.
“You’re financially in a little bit better position at the end of this budget than you were last year at this same time,” he said.
The initial figures did not include a grant of $180,000 from the state Department of Transportation for the borough’s bike path and $200,000 from the Department of Community Affairs.