HILLSBOROUGH, NJ – Following their massive 2024 and 2025 tax hikes imposed on residents, Mayor Ciccarelli and the Republican majority Township Committee has added addition burdens with a significant increase in construction fees charged to families looking to go solar, remodel a bathroom, or install a ramp for a handicapped grandparent.

“Expenses are going up for Hillsborough families, and the town should not be adding additional burdens to their already stretched budgets,” said Hillsborough’s sole Democratic Committeewoman Samantha Hand. “These added costs for construction officials should be borne by developers doing huge projects and not senior couples looking to add a stair lift so they can stay in their home.”

In 2024 the Construction Official budget ran a surplus of $100,000 that was returned to the general fund at the end of the year. Hand notes that this could have been maintained in the fund and used to offset any increase in expenses by that office in 2025, but instead was absorbed into other budget lines.

“It seems like the Mayor hasn’t found a problem he won’t throw other people’s money at, like when he jacked our property taxes, doubled the amount we spend on legal and consulting fees, borrowing another $17 million we have to pay off, and now the construction fees,” said Hand.

Despite Committeewoman Hand’s objections, once again Mayor Ciccarelli and the Republican majority voted to increase costs to the residents of Hillsborough.

###