Township tax decrease gets smaller
By ROBERT LINNEHAN
The Cherry Hill Sun
4/4/2010

A budget amendment which was discussed several weeks ago was made a reality this past week, as members of council passed a revised 2010 fiscal year budget to allow for a half-cent tax decrease for residents, township representatives reported.

When the fiscal year budget was first being discussed, township representatives reported residents could expect a three-cent decrease.

The amendment was needed after revenues for the 2010 fiscal year came in lower than expected for several key areas of the budget, Township Controller Debbie Campbell previously said.

The economy was mostly to blame for decreased revenues in the construction and planning board departments, being almost half of what they were last year, she said.

Because of the near $1 million shortfall in predicted revenues for the 2010 fiscal year and the $300,000 increase in the original $400,000 snow removal budget, the 3-cent decrease in the tax rate will likely be reduced to only a half-cent, she said.

She did not at this time know how this would affect the tax bill for the average assessed home in the township.

The fiscal year budget was approved in June of 2009 and was sent to the state to be approved.