Stafford Presents $64.1 Million Budget

MANAHAWKIN, NJ — Stafford officials presented a 2026 municipal budget of $64,060,740, describing a spending plan driven largely by rising operating costs and a property tax reassessment that lowers the local tax rate. The presentation said the budget is up by $3.3 million from last year.

Township CFO Ashley Darmon said the average residential assessment increased by 109.897 percent. Using one example, she said a home assessed at $300,000 in 2025 and increased by that average to nearly $633,000 in 2026 would see its local tax portion rise by $244.67 for the year. Darmon said actual changes will vary depending on how much a property's assessed value increased.

A central point of the presentation addressed questions about whether taxes would double after reassessment. Darmon said the answer is no. She said the township's total taxable value was $4,527,082,400 in 2025 and increased to $9,502,219,800 after the reassessment was completed. Using the total levy divided by the total valuation, the township calculated a 2026 local tax rate of 49.5 cents per $100 of assessed value, down 46.7 cents from 2025.

According to the budget presentation, 37 percent of a Stafford tax bill in 2025 went to municipal services. The township also bills and collects taxes for other entities, including the local school district, the regional high school, Ocean County, the county library and the county health department.

The presentation said the largest share of 2026 budget appropriations is insurance and employee benefits at 24.78 percent. Public health and safety account for 23.8 percent, followed by capital and debt service at 19.81 percent and public works and landfill tipping fees at 14.49 percent.

On the revenue side, the presentation said local taxes make up 73.37 percent of anticipated revenue. Surplus, described as fund balance or cash on hand, makes up 14.99 percent of the budget, compared with 14.12 percent in 2025. The presentation said Stafford reached its surplus target at the end of 2024 under a surplus policy adopted early last year and is no longer building surplus above that target, instead using excess funds to pay down debt.

The presentation also said the budget remains under New Jersey's spending and levy caps. It said the township is under the spending cap by $41,000 and under the levy cap by $45,000.

Budget materials also outlined debt trends. The presentation said Stafford did not issue any bonds in 2025 and paid down more than $6 million in serial bonds. It said total debt is expected to decline in coming years as excess fund balance is used to pay down debt and grant funding comes in for projects now being financed by the township.

The presentation also reviewed the 2026 water-sewer utility budget. It said debt service accounts for 35.77 percent of spending and other expenses account for 33.45 percent. User fees make up about 81 percent of anticipated revenue, while 13.97 percent of the budget is funded by surplus. The presentation said the utility budget has stayed relatively stable compared with last year, although other expenses rose in part because $1 million is due under an emergency order tied to the Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridge area.