GLOUCESTER COUNTY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Gloucester County's budget will be frozen at the same level it was last year, as commissioners work to save taxpayers money while the cost of everything else rises.
As inflation and high gas prices continue to take a bite out of family budgets, Gloucester County Commissioners director Frank DiMarco said it was important for them to not add to that burden and keep the county budget at $236 million again this year. He believes they can do the same for the next three years.
"We budget five years out, so we know what we're looking at. We know how much leeway we have, so we’re confident we can get this done," he said.
If the federal government or the state come through with unexpected revenue, DiMarco said they have plans for that too.
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“We have ... shovel-ready projects on the shelf. Say it might be a bridge, it might be roads. We have that already engineered and waiting," he said.
While DiMarco wished he could cut taxes even further, he said this is the best they can do for now and he thinks several years of this will really make a difference for families.
Tax payers won't notice a huge difference in their bill as the savings are modest, he noted, but they would absolutely notice if it went up by a lot. That's kind of the point, he said. Keeping the budget at the same level amid rising inflation is an accomplishment in itself.
"We've already cut the tax rate two years in a row, so we cannot do anything anymore this year. The tax rate has been cut, set, approved. So it is what it is."
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