DiVincenzo Proposes $916M Budget In Essex County: See Tax Impact

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The latest county budget proposal has taken a big step forward.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. introduced a $916.3 million budget for 2026 on Wednesday, which he called “balanced and responsible.”

The proposed spending plan includes a 1.74 percent property tax increase for local homeowners, which is below the state cap of 2 percent.

DiVincenzo said the proposed tax hike will help to compensate for “ongoing national economic conditions” and “rising costs due to inflation.”

The county has limited tax increases to an average of 1.39 percent over the last five years, he said.

DiVincenzo said the proposed spending plan “recognizes the financial hardships our residents have faced.”

According to DiVincenzo, the county has been focusing on austere budgeting, eliminating “unnecessary contracts” and having “conservative spending practices.”

In addition, the county has downsized its workforce by not filling open positions unless they are “essential” to public safety and public health operations. This includes positions such as nurses at the Hospital Center or corrections officers at the Essex County Correctional Facility.

Over the last 24 years, Essex County’s workforce has been reduced from a high of more than 4,000 employees in 2003 to 3,620 in the 2026 budget proposal.

Here are some other highlights from the proposed budget, according to the county executive’s office:

‘BANG FOR BUCK’ – “Essex County gives its taxpayers the best bang for their buck, funding its annual operating budget with the lowest percentage of property tax dollars in comparison to the state’s other 20 counties … The proposed budget for 2026 relies on property taxes for just 51.1 percent of the total revenue and that the other 49.9 percent is funded with grants or other sources. Other counties rely on property taxes for an average of 72.3 percent of their revenue.”

DEBT DIET – “Starting in 2007, DiVincenzo implemented a ‘debt diet’ initiative to stabilize the county’s debt service by refinancing existing debt without extending its maturity date and limiting the amount of new debt to a maximum of $20 million annually. In 2026, the debt service projection is $87.5 million (a decrease of about $13.5 million from 2025). It is projected to be reduced to $78.3 million in 2031.”

LONG-TERM – “Over the last 24 years, Essex County has held the average increase in property taxes to about 2.02 percent, which is the third lowest percentage rate of increase of all New Jersey counties behind Hunterdon and Monmouth counties.”

The 2026 budget proposal has been forwarded to the Essex County Board of County Commissioners for review, where it has picked up support from commissioner president Carlos Pomares.

“This is a very strong and responsible budget,” Pomares said.

>> READ MORE: Essex County Towns Ranked By Property Taxes (See The List)

Property taxes in New Jersey are mainly made up of three parts: school, municipal and county.

Essex County homeowners paid the highest average property taxes in the state last year – as they have done in the past. Some experts have pointed out that a high tax bill doesn't necessarily mean a homeowner is getting ripped off, however – it depends on what you get for the money.

According to state data, the average property owner in Essex County paid $14,460 in taxes on a home valued at $494,335 during the 2025 calendar year (not counting credits and deductions). Overall, that money broke down as follows:

• School – 46.2%
• Municipality – 38.8%
• County – 15.1%

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