Middlesex County adopts 2025 budget with lower tax rate, $87.6 million for capital projects

The Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners on March 20 introduced and approved a $618.9 million operating budget for 2025 that officials say reduces the county purpose tax rate to 0.319 and allocates $87.6 million for capital improvements.

The budget, presented by County Commissioner Director Reyes and Chief Financial Officer Nicholas Jegolinski, sets the net to be raised by taxation at about $503.4 million and reflects what the administration described as continued debt reduction, increased reserves and targeted capital spending. "Tonight, I'm proud to introduce the 2025 Middlesex County operating budget," Director Reyes said during the presentation.

County leaders said the proposed county purpose tax rate of 0.319 is a reduction from the prior year and "has not been reached in over a decade," a change officials attributed to growth in assessed valuation and an emphasis on economic development. Jegolinski told commissioners the introduced budget anticipates operating revenues of about $115.4…