Hunterdon County introduces $132.4 million 2026 budget, schedules May 19 public hearing

The Hunterdon County Board of County Commissioners on April 21 introduced the county’s 2026 budget, approving a series of related authorizing resolutions and scheduling a public hearing and adoption for May 19, 2026.

Mister Burnett presented the budget overview and related resolutions. He said certified revenues and appropriations total $132,395,215 and that the 2026 county tax rate will remain the same as 2025 at 30.06 cents per $100 of assessed value. "The total amount to be raised by taxation for 2026 is $96,398,896.66," Burnett said. He added the budget uses $25,800,000 of fund balance, and the capital budget is “a little bit less than $31,500,000.” The budget includes no debt-service appropriation, extending the county’s debt-free streak to 12 consecutive years.

The board also approved a resolution to read the budget by title only — a procedural step that allows introduction of the budget as a whole instead of reviewing every line. County Counsel Katrina Boyle was present to confirm that the executive-session minutes related to confidential matters would be released when confidentiality ends.

Commissioner Sean Van Doren, a budget co‑liaison, said the plan preserves last year’s tax cut while investing in priorities such as a $3.8 million renovation and expansion of the county senior center and a $500,000 grant program for local fire and EMS agencies. "This budget reflects disciplined financial management and a long-term commitment to the fiscal health of our taxpayers," Van Doren said.

The board moved and approved separate authorizing resolutions permitting four county entities to exceed the state’s 2% cap where necessary: the board of elections (driven by election workload and early voting changes), the board of taxation (hardware/software maintenance provided as a shared service), the prosecutor’s office (contractual step increases), and the sheriff’s office (contractual obligations). Burnett explained that the county’s share for the Division of Social Services budget is $1,370,603 of a $3,900,845 total; state and federal funding cover the remainder.

A motion to introduce the budget and to set the public hearing before adoption passed by roll call. The board set May 19, 2026, as the date for the public hearing and for final adoption. No additional substantive changes were adopted at the meeting.

What happens next: The budget now proceeds to the public‑hearing phase; residents may attend the May 19 hearing to speak on the proposal before the board considers final adoption.