Salem County commissioners adopt 2025 budget and establish cap bank

The Salem County Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted the countybudget for 2025 and approved a second-reading resolution to exceed county budget appropriation limits in order to establish a CapBank.

The board opened a public hearing on the second reading of Resolution 2025-136, "Resolution to exceed the county budget appropriation limits and to establish a CapBank," and heard no public comment before closing the hearing and adopting the resolution on a roll call vote recorded as unanimous.

Commissioners then considered a set of budget amendments read into the record by the clerk, including adjustments to anticipated surplus and the tax levy. Clerk-recorded changes included an adjustment to anticipated surplus from $6,508,136 to $6,000,871.01 and a revised subtotal of general revenues. County officials said the changes largely reflected the routine state review process and that the countytax levy remained essentially flat.

After a public hearing on the full 2025 Salem County budget (no public commenters on the record), the commissioners adopted the 2025 budget by unanimous roll call. Commissioners present who participated in the roll calls included Deputy Director Osterholm, Commissioner Timmerman, Commissioner Taylor, Commissioner Ramsey and Director Lohr (roll-call recorded in meeting minutes). The chair and staff noted this was the earliest budget adoption in more than a decade.

Votes at the meetings for the budget items were recorded by roll call and shown as unanimous at the time of adoption. The board did not receive any substantive public testimony opposing adoption during the hearings recorded in the transcript.

The adopted budget and the CapBank resolution will be filed with the appropriate state agencies as required under state law.