Just over two weeks ago, County Commission Director Len Desiderio addressed the county chamber of commerce, calling the 2025 county budget “our best ever.” He emphasized that for the third consecutive year, the county had lowered the tax rate.
Desiderio said this was achieved while improving the county’s already strong financial position, asserting that “there is likely not a county in the state of New Jersey that is as financially strong as Cape May County.” It was a speech filled with confidence.
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Lower tax rates grab headlines – but higher taxes are the real story.
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He reminded the audience that the commission holds the authority to raise the tax rate – and chose not to. “We did not have to reduce the tax rate,” he said. “In fact, we have the authority to raise the tax rate.”
That’s true. Commissioners are elected officials, tasked with financial stewardship. They could have submitted a budget that raised, lowered or maintained the current rate and tax levy.
But taxing decisions are not made to prove authority. They are made to fund specific goals and initiatives. The real test of governance lies in how those choices align with public needs – and the funds they require. Everyone wants tax relief. The deeper question is: What decisions produced it?
Desiderio also advised the public not to believe everything they read in the papers – a fair caution in a partisan era. But the press has a central role in holding elected officials accountable to the public, where real sovereignty resides.
There’s little doubt about which legacy newspaper he was referencing. We are accused of failing to give credit to the board, instead attributing the tax rate reduction to rising property values.
Let’s consider that.
In 2019, the year before Covid-19 hit Cape May County, the aggregate assessed value of property was $50 billion. By 2025, it reached $53.7 billion – a modest 7% increase. But when looking at the county’s true value – used to determine ratables – the story changes. In 2019, true value was $52 billion. In March 2025, it stood at $97 billion – an 86.5% increase.
When Desiderio says there is “some truth” to the idea that rising ratables made budgeting easier, he understates the case. In fact, in two of the three years when the tax rate declined, the tax levy actually increased significantly. In 2025, when the levy was reduced, the cut amounted to less than one-half of 1%.
Regarding increased property values, it’s misleading to suggest that wasn’t a key factor in budget flexibility.
The county tax rate, whether up or down, is applied variably across municipalities. Towns that experienced greater property values increasingly shoulder a larger share of the county tax levy. While the aggregate county rate may fall, that doesn’t mean each municipality sees relief. For example, in Sea Isle City – Desiderio’s hometown – the district tax rate rose each of the years the overall county rate fell. That’s consistent with rising property values in that municipality.
The biggest driver of county finances in recent years has been the pandemic. As urban centers emptied, people with means flocked to the Shore. Cape May County gained substantial real estate value. The scale of the increase gave the county the ability to raise the amount of taxes it collected (the levy) while lowering the rate.
Yes, the commissioners hold the authority to set the budget. But that power is exercised under the responsibility of serving the public. The surge in property values not only made a rate hike unnecessary, but the responsible thing to do – and the county’s financial decisions should be viewed in that light.
From 2020 to 2025, the county budget rose from $184.3 million to $224.2 million — a 22% increase. Meanwhile, the tax levy grew even faster. In 2020, the levy made up 68% of county revenue; in 2025, it accounts for 74%.
That means increased spending was supported by an increased levy – made possible by soaring ratables.
The real question is whether that added spending addressed the county’s most pressing needs. That’s a judgment for the public. And we at the Herald will continue to do our part to ensure you have the facts to decide.
Quotes From the Bible
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” — Micah 6:8
(A grounding verse that echoes the heart of public service: justice, humility and service to others.)
