HOWELL – With a unanimous vote, the Howell Township Council have officially introduced the 2020 municipal budget of $54.84 million.
At the April 13 council meeting, Mayor Theresa Berger, Deputy Mayor Thomas Russo, Councilman John Bonevich, Councilwoman Pamela Richmond and Councilwoman Evelyn O’Donnell voted “yes” on a motion to introduce the budget. May 11 is the current date set for a public hearing on the plan.
A total of $29.2 million in a local tax levy to be paid by Howell’s residential and commercial property owners will be collected to support the 2021 budget.
In the $54.84 million budget, $24.6 million will be appropriated to salaries, officials said.
Council members adopted a $53.54 million budget in 2020, which was supported by the collection of $29.2 million in a local tax levy. Although there is a $1.3 million increase in total appropriations from 2020 to 2021, the local tax levy will remain at $29.2 million. the local tax levy was able to stay the same due to municipal officials increasing the amount of money that will be taken from Howell’s surplus fund and applied as revenue in the budget.
Officials will use $7.28 million from the surplus fund as revenue in the budget this year compared to the $6 million used in 2020.
As for the Howell K-8 School District, the Board of Education recently voted to introduce a $118.1 million budget that will fund the operation of the school district during the 2021-22 school year.
At last month’s meeting, Board members Albert Miller, Denise Lowe, Ira Thor, Jennifer Okerson, Laurence Gurman, MaryRose Malley, Mark Bonjavanni and Scott Jeffrey voted to introduce the budget.
The 2021-22 budget proposes a tax levy of $82.04 million to be paid by Howell’s residential and commercial property owners. Board of Education will hold a public hearing on May 5 about the $118.1 million budget
