Toms River Keeps Municipal Taxes Flat In $142M 2026 Budget

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Township Council approved the 2026 budget, a $142 million spending plan that keeps municipal property taxes flat.

The budget includes funding to account for new contracts for several of the township's unions, which have 3 percent pay increases for 2026, Mayor Daniel Rodrick said.

The budget documents posted on the Toms River Township website show 2026 appropriations of $142,545,090.44, an increase over the final appropriations of $138,998,333.87 for 2025. The final spent was $142,255,033.83, according to the documents.

The 2026 budget uses just over $17 million in surplus to fund it, an increase of $7,567,305 over the amout of surplus used in the 2025 budget. Towns use surplus yearly and replenish it with funds that are not spent at the end of the budget year.

The resolution amending the budget, which has to be approved by the council at the next council meeting, shows the breakdown of the salaries and wages appropriations for several divisions.

They include: Department of Administration, $484,914.85, up from $390,926.04 in 2025; Division of Purchasing, $219,275.53, up from $161,865.63; Division of Human Resources, $164,174.20, down from $168,599.99; Division of Information Technology, $277,475.33, down from $289,417.67; Office of the Mayor, $180,398.84, up from $75,000; Recreation, $1,529,155.88, up from $990,500; Vehicle Maintenance, $1,730,719.45, up from $1,495,103.68; Parks, Buildings and Grounds, $1,534,938.73, up from $1,474,202.49; Streets and Roads, $2,756,552.41, up from $2,434,487.28; Sanitation, $2,564,841.08, up from $2,257,792.19; Donovan School Security, $45,000 (unchanged); Recycling, $2,383,644.29, up from $2,012,702.60.

The line item for police salaries shows $29,046,977.92, up from $27,759,276.24 in 2025, and Code Enforcement is $571,855,65, up from $435,000.

The township also is seeing a nearly $800,000 increase in tipping fees at the Ocean County landfill, to $5,290,539.06, up from $4,439,633.52.