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Wildwood Crest adopts $18.16 million 2026 budget; average homeowner to pay about $104 more
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Summary
The borough adopted a $18,155,919.12 municipal budget for 2026 that officials say stays under state caps but results in a 2.6' local tax-rate increase (about $26 per $100,000 of assessed value, roughly $104 for the borough27s $400,000 average assessment).
The Borough of Wildwood Crest on April 15 adopted its 2026 municipal budget, totaling $18,155,919.12 for municipal purposes, after an auditor27s presentation and a unanimous roll-call vote.
Michael Garcia, the borough27s auditor with the firm Fort Scott, told the governing body "This budget is increasing about $1,300,000 from last year," and said the figure reflects adjustments after removing grant-related fluctuations and interlocal offsets. Garcia attributed the net increase to higher salaries and wages (about $251,000), a roughly $125,000 rise in health-insurance costs, an increased bill from the Cape May County MUA for sewage (about $200,000) and a new dispatching agreement with higher per-call rates (about $140,000). He also said debt-service interest on the borough27s bond-anticipation note accounts for about $419,000 of the increase.
Garcia said the budget remains in compliance with New Jersey27s statutory caps: "This budget is $575,000 below that 3 and a half percent spending cap" and "we are 786,000 below that 2% tax levy cap." He described the tax-rate change as a 2.6' increase in the local purpose tax rate, which equates to "$26 a year on the $100,000 of assessment" and roughly "$104 a year" for a $400,000 assessed property, the auditor said.
A brief phone comment raised whether the county dispatching arrangement was a new contract. Auditor Garcia and others clarified the service is a continuous provider but the renewed agreement carries higher rates, a change that helps explain part of the budgetary increase.
After discussion and no in-person budget comments, a council member moved to adopt the budget "pursuant to the provisions of NJAC 5:30-7.2 through 7.5." The motion was seconded and carried by roll call; the minutes record affirmative votes and the budget27s adoption.
What it means and what happens next: officials said department heads have been directed to constrain spending within the adopted budget while staff will begin implementing items tied to capital planning and projects. The auditor and council noted the borough27s choice to leave the state health-benefits plan and pursue commercial coverage as a partial mitigation against even larger insurance increases.
The council did not schedule further public hearings on the adopted budget at the meeting. Any additional procedural steps (final publication, county review if applicable) will follow statutory timelines required under New Jersey law.
