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West Ocean supervisors vote to advertise preliminary 2026 budget, plan Dec. 16 adoption
Summary
The board approved advertising the preliminary 2026 budget, which proposes no tax, sewer or trash rate increases and recommends transfers to capital and sewer reserve funds; staff warned revenues will decline as the Woodlands development wraps up and recommended a $2 million transfer to capital reserves.
The West Ocean Township Board of Supervisors voted to advertise the township’s preliminary 2026 budget with intent to adopt the plan on Dec. 16, 2025.
Finance presenter Christine told the board the budget proposal includes no increase in the township’s real‑estate tax rate, and recommends holding sewer and trash rates steady for 2026. Staff said salary‑and‑wage increases average about 4.4% for non‑uniform employees and about 4.96% for uniformed staff; planned personnel consolidations and actuarial changes helped limit budget pressure. The draft continues transfers from operating funds into capital reserves to pay for planned stormwater and other infrastructure work.
Why it matters: staff said 2026 revenue projections fall from 2025 largely because the Woodlands development is effectively complete, reducing transfer‑tax and building‑permit receipts. Christine estimated a roughly $545,000 reduction tied to lower transfer tax and permit revenue and projected transfer‑tax receipts of about $1.6 million for 2026. The board discussed whether the planned $2 million transfer from general fund to capital reserve should be reduced, but ultimately approved advertising the budget for public review and comment.
The board also discussed key line‑items in other funds: sewer fund staff said no rate increase will be sought and that increased transfers to the sewer authority are intended to align with debt and capital needs; the waste and recycling fund was flagged as having a low reserve (staff estimate: roughly $400,000 cash) and will be re‑bid in 2026 when the current contract expires. Capital projects highlighted for 2026 include stormwater repairs, Community Park improvements (bathrooms; splash pad design pending grant) and equipment replacements.
The board’s procedural action now requires a formal advertisement and a public hearing process before final adoption on Dec. 16, 2025. Staff committed to circulate supplemental details requested during the meeting — including solar array production and net cost figures, actual salary schedules used to determine the proposed averages, and a five‑year revenue projection showing the post‑Woodlands trend.
