West Orange Budget Update: Committee Formed, Public Workshop

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The march to a new municipal budget continues in West Orange.

The township will hold a second workshop to discuss the 2024 municipal budget on Thursday, June 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers at Town Hall, 66 Main Street. No public comment will be heard.

The workshop will also be available via Zoom (login here):

• Webinar ID - 892 4858 2918
• Passcode – 152447

ADVISORY REVIEW COMMITTEE

West Orange town council member Tammy Williams recently announced that a Budget Advisory Review Committee composed of local residents has been formed to ensure that the 2024 spending plan “reflects our community's unique and varied needs.”

The committee members include:

• Paul Pettigrew - Chair Mayoral Appointment
• Rick Brill - Mayoral Appointment
• Ken Alper - Councilwoman Michelle Casalino
• Micaela Bennett - Councilwoman Asmeret Gherbremicael
• TBD- Councilman Bill Rutherford
• Todd Debovy -Councilwoman Susan Scarpa
• Kevin Harris - Councilwoman Tammy Williams

“The goal is to take full advantage of this opportunity to thoroughly review our budget, focusing on making impactful recommendations,” Williams wrote prior to a budget workshop on May 30.

“As the council meets [May 30] to identify efficient cost reduction strategies while exploring areas where we can enhance services for all residents, we must generate positive, actionable recommendations that will help us control and potentially stabilize our taxes,” Williams said.

“This collective effort can create a more sustainable and efficient budget that better serves our entire community,” Williams added. “Your support and involvement are crucial to the success of this initiative. We can work towards a more fiscally responsible and service-oriented West Orange.”

Property taxes in New Jersey are mainly made up of three parts: school, municipal and county. Here’s how that played out in West Orange for 2023, according to state data:

• School – 61.4%
• Municipal – 26.7%
• County – 11.9%

In 2023, the average West Orange homeowner paid $15,475 in property taxes on a home valued at $336,591. Here are the previous four years for comparison:

• 2022 – $14,920 in taxes on a home valued at $336,282
• 2021 – $14,701 in taxes on a home valued at $337,703
• 2020 – $14,484 in taxes on a home valued at $338,106
• 2019 – $14,086 in taxes on a home valued at $338,561

Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page.