2020 Budget

Adopted Hunterdon County Budget Freezes Tax Rate
For Second Year In A Row
Hunterdon County’s Freeholder Board adopted the county’s 2020 budget, freezing the county tax rate for the
second year in a row, at the May 19th Freeholder meeting held by teleconference.
Freeholder Board Director Shaun C. Van Doren stated, “Holding the county tax rate frozen at the 2018 level again
this year is a key part of the County’s plan for economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget meets
the costs of the mandated and necessary services for our residents and businesses, efficiently and effectively.”
The 2020 county tax rate will be 31.5 cents per $100 of property valuation, the same rate as in both 2019 and in
2018.
“Keeping the county tax rate flat over the past two years is a result of the conservative, business-like philosophy of
this and past Freeholder Boards. Controlling the tax rate comes from controlling costs, which is an accepted goal in
our Departments, and is driven by a dedicated financial control system, overseen by the Finance Department,” Van
Doren said.
Freeholder Matt Holt, a longtime member of the Board’s Budget Committee, stated, “The world, our nation, our
state, our county and our local communities have changed greatly from the point when we first began working on
this budget late last year. The pandemic affected the budget development process nearly at the last moment.
But the single greatest take away under this budget for our residents, our businesses, our taxpayers, and our
economy is that the county tax rate remains the same as it was in 2018.”
Holt added, “I have not done extensive research, but I will bet there is no other County in New Jersey that can make
the same claim.”
Holt pointed out that the $89.35 million 2020 county budget is $10 million less than the nearly $100 million budget
from 2006 and is even lower than the county budget from 2011.
“This achievement is a result of teamwork with the Freeholder Board, our Budget Committee, and with our
Department heads recognizing the need for economy. And it would not have been possible except for applying our
conservative fiscal principles each and every year for the past several years,” Holt concluded.
A copy of the budget can be found at the following website, copy and paste into your browser:
http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/...