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Morris Township introduces $42.9 million 2025 municipal budget; tax increase under 1% projected
Summary
Administrator Quinn introduced the township's 2025 municipal budget at $42.9 million, projecting less than a 1% tax increase (about $0.255 on an average $600,000 assessed home). The budget reflects higher personnel and health costs and reduced debt service for 2025.
Morris Township Administrator Quinn presented the township’s proposed municipal budget for 2025 at Wednesday’s meeting, laying out a $42.9 million spending plan and a projected tax‑rate increase of less than 1 percent.
Quinn said personnel and benefits are the budget’s primary pressures: health costs are up roughly 16 percent (about $450,000) and salaries are up about $700,000. Operating expenses rose about $150,000. Debt service fell in 2025 because the township retired roughly $1.4 million of bonds, a one‑time reduction that provides temporary relief.
The budget presentation included figures for enterprise funds (sewer, pool, parking) and a detailed public hearing and adoption schedule over coming weeks. Quinn said the average assessed property ($600,000) would see an estimated municipal tax increase of about $0.255 (25.50¢) for the year under the proposed levy; the formal public hearing on the full budget and final vote are scheduled for April 16, 2025.
Committee members noted capital priorities and constrained revenues and reiterated that the township’s practice is to maintain a year‑end fund balance and reserves to absorb emergencies. Quinn described the fund balance maneuvers that staff use each year: some of the year‑end fund balance (~$6.5 million) is rolled into the next year’s revenue to stabilize the tax rate, leaving a recommended reserve equal to roughly 15–20 percent of budgeted appropriations.
A formal budget resolution was adopted on the night’s consent calendar to advertise the budget and set the April 16 public hearing and adoption date.
