CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — The county tax rate is expected to fall another 1.9 cents under the $224 million budget for fiscal year 2025.
The rate would fall from 18.8 cents per $100 of assessed value to 16.9 cents, a decrease of $190 on each $100,000. The rate has fallen steadily since 2021, when it was 23.4 cents.
Cape May County Board of County Commissioners Director Leonard C. Desiderio delivered his budget address Feb. 25, when the board introduced the spending plan.
“I am happy to report that the 2025 budget may be our best ever,” Desiderio said.
Desiderio said the reduced tax rate lowers the county tax levy by $671,000.
“The last time that Cape May County had a levy decrease was over 30 years ago, in 1993,” he said.
The budget includes $59.2 million in salaries and wages, $78.5 million in other expenses, $17.7 million in capital spending, $29.9 million in debt payments and $38.7 million in statutory expenses such as pension payments.
“Our salary and wage line item is 27 percent of the budget and our labor force has very fair collective bargaining agreements that provide competitive wages, opportunity for advancement and employee accountability while proving exceptional benefits, Desiderio said. “Our self-funded employee health benefit premiums increased less than 3 percent for 2025 while comparatively the state health plan experienced a 16.25 percent increase.”
He said the $17.5 million capital improvement fund provides the county the ability to pay for small- and medium-sized projects using self-funded capital without incurring debt.
“We continue to pave roads, fix drainage, improve our parks, zoo, active and passive recreation, provide services for the elderly and less fortunate and building bridges,” Desiderio said.
This year has a full schedule of infrastructure improvements, with more than $100 million dedicated, including but not limited to:
— 96th Street Bridge upgrades/repairs: estimated project cost $50 million;
— Local Concept Development studies for replacement of Grassy Sound, Great Channel, Townsends Inlet and Corsons Inlet bridges $4 million to $5 million
— Marshallville Road bridge replacement $1 million
— Graven’s and Leonard’s Thorofare emergency encasements $1.5 million
— Countywide bridge pile encasements $1.5 million
— Hand Avenue bridge replacement $3 million
— Mill Creek and Upper Thorofare railing and pedestrian access $5.3 million
— Countywide maintenance paving 13 miles $12.0 million
— Additional hybrid-funded road projects 12.9 miles $23.6 million
— New court complex: $22 million to $24 million.
Under revenues, the amount to be raised by taxes to fund the budget is $164.5 million, which is 73 percent of the total budget. The balance of the budget is funded by the use of surplus funds ($21 million), grants and miscellaneous revenues($33 million).
Helping to keep the tax rate down is the expected increase of $9.4 billion in the county ratable base to $97 billion – a 10.8 percent increase. The county base has increased by nearly $40 billion since 2021, when it was $57.5 billion.
“I am proud of the progress we made in 2024 on projects and in running the important day-to-day functions of the county. And I am even more excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for our county in 2025,” Desiderio said. “Through careful planning and strategic investments in our facilities and infrastructure, we will continue to ensure the sustainability of our county’s finances in 2025 and future years to come.”
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
