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Millville commissioners introduce $42 million 2026 budget and set June 16 public hearing
Summary
Millville’s Board of Commissioners voted to introduce a $42.0 million 2026 municipal budget and scheduled a public hearing for June 16; the CFO said $7 million in surplus will be used to limit the tax increase and cited a $19 million assessment clerical error that affected last year’s numbers. (350 chars or less)
Millville’s Board of Commissioners voted on May 19 to introduce the 2026 municipal budget and schedule a required public hearing for June 16. Chief Financial Officer Tricia McGaughey told the governing body the proposed municipal budget is $42,000,000, up from roughly $40,000,000 last year, and that the administration is planning to use about $7,000,000 of the city’s surplus to reduce the tax increase.
McGaughey framed the budget within state timelines and municipal accounting rules, noting the requirement to allow at least 28 days between introduction and adoption and that adoption must be preceded by public notice. She reviewed fund-accounting basics and NJ statutory references that govern municipal budgets (NJSA 40A series), explained levy-cap mechanics and listed the main expense drivers: health insurance increases (she cited roughly $1.8 million in added insurance costs), payroll-cycle timing and statutory obligations such as pension and debt service.
On property valuation, McGaughey said Millville’s assessed value stood at about $1.48 billion as of Oct. 1, 2025, with roughly 8,410 residential parcels and a 25% exempt rate. She described a $19,000,000 clerical assessment error last year and estimated that error’s effect at roughly 3¢ on the municipal tax rate. Using a “penny” equivalent of $148,066, McGaughey translated rate impacts into household terms and estimated a municipal portion of the annual tax increase as about $211 on an average-assessed home ($176,000 assessed), or roughly $17 per month.
The CFO also summarized one-time revenue usage and grants: Millville has relied on ARPA and other one-shot state aid in recent years (she said the city used about $4.9 million of ARPA to offset levies), and grant activity varied year to year. Utilities and solid-waste budgets were presented separately; McGaughey said the water budget proposal is roughly $5.1 million and that utility surplus usage is higher this year to offset insurance and infrastructure pressures.
A commissioner moved, seconded and the board approved a resolution to read the municipal budget by title and to introduce the 2026 budget. The clerk conducted roll call and the motion passed. The public hearing is scheduled for June 16, when commissioners will receive public comment before final adoption.
What’s next: The budget will be publicly noticed per state law, with a formal public hearing on June 16; adoption will require a subsequent roll-call vote at or after that hearing. If amendments are proposed, the CFO noted they could be considered on the hearing date.
