Freehold Twp. budget checks in at $38.4M BY ELANA ARON Correspondent FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - The Township Committee has presented its municipal budget for 2007. The operating budget totals $38.4 million, which is under cap and within the statutorily permitted amount to be raised in taxes. Property owners will pay a total tax levy of $12.4 million (approximately 32 percent of the budget) to support the spending plan. Freehold Township's municipal budget for 2006 totaled $35.4 million and raised $11.8 million in the local tax levy (approximately 34 percent of the budget). The 2007 budget includes $455,427 in grants and interlocal revenue, which all together go to fund all municipal facilities and programs, including parks, recreation programs, the senior center, police protection, road maintenance, snow removal, public health and safety, street lighting, and recycling. "Like all municipalities, we are struggling to maintain municipal services while state aid remains flat," said Town-ship Administrator Thomas E. Antus. "We increased our local revenues by over a million dollars. That's a million dollars that won't see a tax increase." The municipal tax rate will increase 1.9 cents, from 38.9 cents to 40.8 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. That means the owner of a home assessed at $200,000 will see the amount of municipal taxes he pays increase from $778 in 2006 to $816 in 2007. The owner of a home assessed at $300,000 will see the amount of municipal taxes he pays increase from $1,167 in 2006 to $1,224 in 2007. The owner of a home assessed at $400,000 will see the amount of municipal taxes he pays increase from $1,556 in 2006 to $1,632 in 2007. The owner of a home assessed at $500,000 will see the amount of municipal taxes he pays increase from $1,945 in 2006 to $2,040 in 2007. Municipal taxes are one part of the overall property tax bill, which also includes Freehold Township School District taxes, Freehold Regional High School District taxes, Monmouth County taxes and several other assessments. According to Antus, the issue of raising property taxes to fund township schools needs to be addressed. "Our schools take 71 cents out of every dollar. There's got to be another way other than property taxes," said Antus. "We're pretty much a self-sufficient municipality, but the cost of everything goes up." The three largest sources of revenue are state aid, which encompasses the New Jersey Energy Tax, Municipal Prop-erty Tax Assistance and the Consolidated Municipal Property Tax Relief Act which provide 27.6 percent in revenue; local taxes for support of the municipal budget, which provide 32.4 percent; and the Fund Balance, which is 19.2 percent. Municipal revenues generated by Free-hold Township increased by $1.2 million throughout 2006, which is attributed to increased interest on investments and increased municipal court fines. The state is required to provide municipalities with a cost of living increase on the New Jersey Energy Tax Aid. With the increase, amounting to $423,518, the state has reduced the Consolidated Municipal Property Tax Act by a like amount, therefore keeping the state aid even, according to information provided by the township. Although the new state revenue and the 2007 Municipal Property Tax Assistance has modestly increased overall state aid, the state has decreased aid by approximately $1 million over the last five years, according to municipal officials. This has resulted in a 1-cent per year increase in the municipal tax rate.