Auditor says township below state caps on spending, levy
VILLAS — Township Council passed its 2025 budget April 7 with a 1.5-cent increase in the local tax rate.
“It’s the same budget we introduced, with no changes to it,” auditor Leon Costello said. “Everything is in good shape and you’re one of the smallest increases around.”
The $35 million spending plan is down $592,562 from the previous year and includes a tax rate of 63.3 cents per $100 of assessed value. The township’s total assessed value rose to $3.77 billion, an increase of nearly 1 percent.
The increase amounts to $15 for every $100,000 of assessed value or a total municipal tax of $1,266 on a $200,000 home. The total tax bill includes the county, local and regional school taxes.
Township Manager Michael Laffey said the township is $264,636 below the tax levy cap and $384,670 below the spending cap.
Mayor Frank Sippel thanked Costello and Chief Finance Officer Lauren Read for their hard work.
In other business, council introduced an ordinance to bond $2,735,000 for various capital improvements. Additionally, the council passed a resolution approving the engineering design and construction phase for pickleball courts on Bayshore Road.
“We’ll be building six new pickleball courts next door, between here and the senior center,” Sippel said. “We’re looking to be done by maybe fall.”
Sippel also noted that the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal will host eight summer concerts through the end of August, two more than in previous summers.
NJ Transit buses
A resident expressed frustration to council about the transportation network of NJ Transit buses. He said the buses operate untimely and that their routing is limited.
Laffey said he has been going back and forth on scheduling a meeting with NJ Transit to discuss some of the issues recently brought forth to the township. One specific issue mentioned was the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians on Breakwater Road.
Another resident, Edgar Neal, asked council about relocating two NJ Transit bus stops across and to the side of his home on Seashore Road. Neal, a Vietnam veteran, said the 2 a.m. stops are disturbing him during the night.
“There is no trash bin there across the street, and this [trash] is what I wind up with all over my lawn,” Neal said, holding up a Ziploc bag full of refuse.
Sippel said Laffey would examine the situation.
Certificates of recognition
Council presented several student-athletes with certificates of recognition.
“It’s important to recognize all the athletes, because one day you may be a mayor or councilman and you can go back and do this yourself,” Sippel said.
— Jasmine Black, winter track: third year varsity, sixth place group and state sectionals with a new school record of 9.88 seconds in the 55 high hurdles.
— Jenna Hill, winter track: third year varsity, third place group, one state sectional in the 1600 meters.
— Aiden Formento, Lennon O’Donnell, Colin Hewit and Jovaneil DeLeon set a new school record in the 4×55 meter hurdle relay, 39.77 seconds.
— Brittany O’Donnell was recognized as Lower Cape May Regional swim coach of the year.
— Recognized as Cape-Atlantic League All-Stars were Tran Nguyen as winter scholar athlete, Drew Kronemeyer for first team swimming; Eddie Fucci for first team swimming; Giacomino Ruff for honorable mention swimming; Alexandria Vogt for first team girls basketball; Brooke Robinson for honorable mention girls basketball;
Ty Bonner for first team boys basketball and 1,000-point scorer as a junior; Mason Cronin for honorable mention boys basketball; and Chase Hansen for first team wrestling, District 32 champion, Region 8 champion, and fourth-place state finish as a junior, and first three-time District 32 and Region 8 champion and three-time state place winner in school history.
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
