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Roxbury reviews tax, court, water and sewer budgets; PFAS treatment and meter upgrades planned
Summary
At its March 3 meeting, Roxbury officials heard presentations from the Tax Collector and Municipal Court and detailed capital and operating plans for water and sewer utilities, including a PFAS treatment facility, a meter-replacement program, and Landing Road sewer extension.
Roxbury Township Council received department-level budget presentations on March 3 covering tax and utility collection, the municipal court, and water and sewer capital projects.
Tax Collector Heidi Pedersen reported a current collection rate of 97.91% and described the office’s responsibilities, the annual tax-sale process for delinquent taxes, and that the office is staffed by four employees and does not maintain a capital budget.
Court Administrator Kelly Robinson said the court’s 2026 budget request increases by about $4,000 to cover mandatory expenses and noted growth in filings from roughly 4,000 cases in 2020 to about 6,000 in 2025. Robinson warned that language-access requirements, higher case volume and potential special sessions could increase costs.
Township Engineer Melanie Michetti laid out water operations and capital work: Roxbury operates three public community water systems (Sky View, Shore Hills and Evergreen) with nine wells and serves roughly 3,300 residential and 400 commercial customers. Key capital items include ongoing hydrant replacements, a Phase 1 Water Master Plan (design by Mott MacDonald) that would rezone pressure zones and upgrade storage and telemetry, a water-meter replacement program at approximately 125 meters per year using remote-read technology, and a planned PFAS treatment facility at the Ford Road booster station (design and permitting underway; NJ iBank financing anticipated with partial offset from litigation recovery funds). Michetti said water utility surplus has declined since 2022 and that future rate adjustments will likely be required.
On sewer, Michetti said the Ajax Terrace Water Pollution Control Plant operates at 2.0 million gallons per day and the system includes 14 pump stations. Grinder-pump replacements are 98% complete; 18 of 24 rotating biological contactors have been replaced, and work is planned to replace remaining units. The Landing Road bridge sewer extension was listed as a capital item tied to a bridge project and nearby development. Planned denitrification filters and UV disinfection upgrades are linked to an upcoming NJDEP permit. The sewer operating budget rise is driven in part by a 5.8% increase in Musconetcong Sewerage Authority treatment charges, producing a 3.2% overall sewer operating increase.
Manager J.J. Murphy said information about organizing a fleet committee will be presented to the council in the near future. There were no budget votes at the March 3 meeting; the council adjourned after public comment.
