Medford Township’s council has unanimously adopted its 2020 municipal budget with zero increases to the tax rate.
Council unanimously adopted the budget during its April 7 virtual meeting on the online Zoom video conference platform. For a home in Medford with an average assessed value of $326,393, residents can expect to see the flat .046-cent tax rate to continue for 2020. Annual tax payments are to remain at an average of $150.14 of assessed value per $100.
“Our staff and specifically Township Manager Kathy Burger did a phenomenal job in keeping the budget at a zero tax increase for the eighth year in a row,” Mayor Charles Watson said. “We’re happy to present no increases in the taxes once again for our residents.”
The new budget of $21,152,248.74 calls for increases to clerical staff salaries, as Burger sought to have all employees under $11 an hour, Increases were doled out in percentages and no employee with seniority or previous raises received the wage increase.
The township’s half of the new joint Pinelands Library-municipal building on Union Street was factored into the budget. Burger said the township’s current furniture is nearly two decades old and would need to be replaced.
Lacking funds from the Burlington County Municipal Park Grant, the township allocated money for Fort Medford, Bob Meyer and Freedom Park improvements that include upgraded playground equipment and pickleball courts. Funding is budgeted as $200,000 for Fort Medford and Bob Meyer; $290,000 for Freedom Park.
Information Technology improvements were added to the budget to upgrade infrastructure for the municipal building and police department by switching to a proactive IT company and purchasing an exchange server for both buildings.
For its fire department, the township is purchasing a pumper fire truck. Two police vehicles were also budgeted under public safety, as were contractually obligated increases to fire and police salaries.
The adopted budget can be viewed by visiting MedfordTownship.com/Administration.
