5-Cent Municipal Tax Rate Increase Included in Budget

Lawrence Township’s 2013 municipal budget, which calls for a 5-cent municipal tax rate increase, was formally introduced through a resolution approved by members of Lawrence Township Council at their meeting Tuesday evening (March 19).

A public hearing on the $43,017,614 municipal spending plan has been scheduled to take place on April 16 before council members vote whether or not to formally adopt the budget.

A copy of the budget, as introduced Tuesday, is available from the township’s website and the Patch media box to the right.

Also available in the media box to the right is a document that was distributed at the meeting showing various changes in revenues and appropriations between the introduced budget and the recommended budget that was first presented to council in January.  

The 5-cent increase included in the introduced budget will raise the municipal tax rate to $0.94 per $100 of assessed property value from $0.89.

That tax rate increase – combined with the newly-created fee for bulk trash pickup, to be set at $25 for this year – will result in the owner of a home assessed (for taxing purposes; not market value) at the township average of $160,262 paying an additional $105.13 in municipal taxes during the year.

During the meeting, Township Manager Richard Krawczun noted that the introduced budget falls $152,356 below the state’s 2 percent tax levy cap, and is about $1.3 million less than the 2012 budget was.

Councilman Michael Powers, meanwhile, pointed out – as Krawczun previously spoke at length about during the March 5 council meeting – that Lawrence Township receives only 21 cents of every tax dollar paid by property owners, with the remaining 79 cents going to the township school district and the Mercer County government.

See Also:

• March 11: “Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go?”
• Feb. 8: “Proposed Municipal Tax Rate Hike Needed to Counter Tax Appeal Refunds & Decline in Township Tax Base”
• Jan. 30: “Recommended 2013 Budget Presented to Council”