Dropped by nearly one-third over past five spending plans
SEA ISLE CITY — Cape May County is cutting the tax rate again.
The Board of Commissioners announced last week that the 2026 county budget is being trimmed compared to this year and the tax rate will be going down again.
Expect Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio to detail this when he presents his 2026 State of the County address March 19.
At their March 10 meeting, commissioners introduced the $223,271,377 budget, with spending down almost $1 million from the current 2025 budget, which was to $224 million.
Commissioners said they are reducing spending by $943,325 or 0.4 percent. With an increase in ratables across the county, the budget will lower the tax rate by just under a penny – $0.009 – per $100 of assessed valuation.
Last year at budget time, the commissioners reduced the tax rate from 18.8 cents per $100 to 16.9 cents. The latest reduction should put the tax rate at a flat 16 cents per $100.
“The introduction of our 2026 budget demonstrates the county’s continued commitment to fiscal responsibility and strategic investment,” Desiderio said in a press release. “We are able to present a budget that reduces the tax rate while maintaining strong services, supporting important infrastructure improvements and planning for the long-term needs of our residents.”
Since 2021, the tax rate has fallen from 23.4 cents per $100.
According to the release from the commissioners March 11, the county’s ratable base grew 7.8 percent over the past year, up $7.55 billion to $104.7 billion. An increasing ratable base can help offset budget impacts on taxpayers.
The new budget will increase funding for Cape May County Technical High School and the Special Services School District by $621,000 and has $552,000 in operating funds for new homeless programming and $250,000 for capital funding “to support those initiatives as program development continues.”
Cape May County does not have a homeless shelter.
Desiderio also touted the county budgeting in his State of the County address in March 2025, saying the 2025 budget “may be our best ever.”
He explained that the county uses a zero-based budgeting process. Rather than building upon the previous year, they focus on what’s needed in the coming year rather than relating it to what has been spent in past years. Desiderio noted that keeps department heads and county staff — and commissioners — accountable.
Desiderio is expected to outline the budget in his State of the County address this week.
If past practice holds, he will outline the budget and talk about the year ahead, including projects the county is planning. Last year he mentioned the $22 million contract that was at the time on the commission’s agenda for a construction of a justice complex for the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and a public safety training academy, which is now under construction up the street from the county Administration Building at 4 Moore Road in Cape May Court House.
The presentation will be during the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Yacht Club of Sea isle City, 4487 Venicean Road. Check-in at the meeting starts at 11:30 a.m. with the program beginning at noon. Cost is $40 for members and $55 for “soon-to-be members.” Registration is at capemaycountychamber.com.
By DAVID NAHAN and CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Cape May Star and Wave
