Sussex County lawmakers unanimously pass the county’s $285 million budget.
Like many cities and counties around the state, Sussex County is dramatically lowering property taxes, responding to the first recalculation of property values in decades. The budget reduces property tax rates from 44.5 cents to 2.14 cents per $100 of assessed value, a 95% cut. That drastic cutback will keep the budget revenue neutral.
The budget is growing to the tune of about $20 million or 7.3%, although that growth will have minor, if any, effects on property owners. Much of that increase is in capital projects, especially sewer improvements, says county Finance Director Gina Jennings.
“It's two components here. It's treatment expansion and septic elimination. Most of it is septic elimination which gets passed right on to the specific users of those areas, and the rest is the treatment expansion which is 45% of that, which is covered by the connection fees," she told council members.
The county’s operating budget, which pays for things like salaries and benefits, is growing by a more modest $4 million or 4.4%.
And the budget does dip into the county’s reserves.
“We are using reserves, which is mostly realty transfer tax reserves for one time expenditures," says Jennings. "However, we are using less reserves this year of 1.2 million.”
Dipping into the county’s savings didn’t seem to concern council members.
“We are maintaining prudent and reasonable reserves and even above and beyond that," says Council Vice-President John Rieley. "So we are in no danger of depleting our reserves at this point in time.”
Council members passed the budget unanimously. It goes into effect on July 1.
