FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2021

Bridgewater Township Introduces Budget with No Tax Increase

Bridgewater, NJ – At the June 21st meeting of the Bridgewater Township Council, the Township Administration presented and the Township Council voted to introduce the 2021 Municipal Budget. The Budget, as introduced, does not include any increase to the present tax rate.

“When outlining a municipal budget, nothing is guaranteed,” said Mayor Matthew Moench. “We project spending and revenue to the best of our ability and budget for the services that we need to supply to our taxpayers. This process is difficult in a normal year and becomes exponentially more problematic when contending with unpredictable outside influences like the COVID-19 pandemic. I would like to thank our Administrative and Finance staff as well as our Council Finance Committee for all their hard work and collaboration over the past several months to arrive at a budget document that serves our residents well.”

Moench continued, “The most important number in the 2021 Budget is zero. This year, we are presented the Township Council and our residents with a 0% increase in the municipal tax rate. As we continue to recover from the pandemic, we know how important every dollar is to our taxpayers and we tried our best to be cognizant of that while striving to maintain our level of services.”

The 2021 Budget will be $46,711,972.87 which is approximately a $2.8 million increase from the 2020 budget. The majority of this increased spending stem from statutory and deferred charges which account for $1.8 million of the increase. These charges include deferred Social Security tax payments from last year.

“The Township could have continued to kick the proverbial can down the road on this required payment but we instead decided to eliminate it from future balance sheets,” said Mayor Moench.

The Township also issued a full repayment of the special emergency bond taken last year in response to COVID. This helps to avoid having future budgets impacted by COVID.

The budget also includes the Township’s commitment to infrastructure improvements.

“Earlier this year, with the support of the Township Council, we announced and have begun implementing the most aggressive investment in infrastructure in the history of the Township,” said Mayor Matthew Moench. “We outlined the first year of a 5-year road improvement plan and funded an initial amount of $8 million to address some of the Township’s worst roadways. Guided by the Universal Road Assessment that was conducted last year, we hope that, over the course of the next 5 years, we will have Township roads that reflect the quality of our community. Just like these roads did not fall into disrepair overnight, they will not be fixed in that manner but we need and have made the proper investments today that will yield the desired results for tomorrow.”Mayor Moench concluded, “This budget reflects many of the goals and values of this Administration while protecting the wallets of its residents. It also strives to provide the same level of service that our community has come to expect and deserve. I would like to thank the Council, especially the Council Finance Committee, for being a dedicated partner throughout this process, and I look forward to continuing our collaboration on this budget to best serve the Bridgewater community in 2021 and beyond.”

“As a member of the Council Finance Committee and Council President, I believe it is incumbent upon myself to represent the fiscal interests of out residents,” said Council President Filipe Pedroso. “This year has shown us that life can be unpredictable, but I am pleased that Mayor Moench has produced a budget without a tax increase. Many of our residents have faced not only personal difficulties, but also financial challenges during this pandemic, so it is appreciated to see that our mayor shares with the Council’s priority to provide some level of consistency by proposing a stable, flat municipal tax. I look forward to going through the budget line by line, as I do every year, to assure that not a single penny more is budgeted than is absolutely necessary.”

“I am pleased that we are able to deliver the Bridgewater 2021 budget with a zero tax rate change from the previous year,” said Councilman Howard Norgalis. “As Councilmen, we take our responsibility as stewards of funds from our residential and commercial property owners very seriously. Our goal is always to careful balance the level of services needed or desired with our financial ability to support those needs. Make no mistake, this was a very challenging budget but one that I feel reflects a prudent and responsive collective effort by the Council, Mayor and his Administration.”

The 2021 Budget was introduced by a vote of 5-0. The budget will now be available for review of the public in advance of the public hearing at the July 19, 2021 Township Council Meeting.