Montclair Hammers Out Town, School Budgets (See Tax Impacts)

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Budget season is hitting its full stride in Montclair, where the latest town and school spending plans have been unveiled – with potential tax hikes in each.

Property taxes in New Jersey are mainly made up of three parts: school, municipal and county. Last year, the average Montclair resident paid $21,631 in property taxes on a home valued at $635,770 (not including credits and deductions).

>> Read More: Here's How Much Montclair Homeowners Pay In Taxes (2025 Update)

SCHOOL BUDGET

The Montclair Board of Education is scheduled to adopt the fiscal year 2026 budget at their meeting on Wednesday, May 14.

A homeowner with a property valued at $631,882 would pay $12,025 for the school portion of their taxes under the spending plan – an increase of $496 from last year’s $11,529. See Related: Montclair School District Hacks Away At Budget Gap

A public hearing was held for the proposed budget on May 7 (watch the video below).

TOWN BUDGET

Meanwhile, town administrators continue to hammer out a new municipal budget in Montclair.

The tentative spending plan was introduced at the town council meeting on May 6. Township manager Stephen Marks and chief financial officer Padmaja Rao offered some details about the proposed budget, which would include a 1.98 percent tax rate increase. A home valued at $639,630 would see an increase of $107 to the municipal portion of its property taxes.

Watch footage from the meeting below (video is cued to the budget presentation).

The council and township have scheduled two additional meetings for department heads to present additional details about their respective budgets. The dates and agendas include:

Saturday, May 17 (10 am to 2 pm)

• Planning and Zoning
• Finance and Administration
• Water and Sewer Utility
• Department of Community Services

Wednesday, May 28 (6 to 9 pm)

• Police Department
• Fire Department
• Health and Human Services
• Recreation and Cultural Affairs

A public hearing and adoption of the municipal budget is scheduled for the council meeting on June 3.

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