Freeholder director Bruce Garganio announced today that the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders has introduced a budget plan that cuts county property taxes for the fifth year in a row. The freeholders’ 2014 budget plan will reduce the total amount to be raised through county property taxes by a total of $511,260.
“I am proud to announce that we will once again cut taxes while enhancing the services we offer for families, seniors, veterans, and the most vulnerable among us,” Garganio said. “We are doing more with less, collecting $24.2 million less from taxpayers than we did in 2008. That is the largest county tax cut in the entire State of New Jersey.”
Garganio also pointed out that the county portion of the average residents’ total tax bill has been reduced by more than 20% over the last six years. Currently county taxes represent just 14.9 percent of a resident’s total property tax bill.
“We’re doing our part to ease the burden on our residents,” Garganio said. “That’s a big reason why the respected Pew Charitable Trust recognized Burlington County as having the lowest comparable, residential tax burden in the Philadelphia region.”
In addition to having the largest county tax cut in the state, Burlington County also has the lowest per capita spending of all 21 counties — at $339 per person. The state average is $551.
The Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders has dramatically decreased spending since the recession. Ultimately, the Freeholder Board has decreased county spending by more than $39.3 million, or 17.2 percent, in the past six years.
“We have proven here in Burlington County that fiscally responsible government that still provides for its residents is possible,” Garganio said. “I am proud to be the director of a board that can serve as a blueprint for how government can and should operate.”
