Monmouth County Freeholders adopt budget for 2019

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders have adopted the County’s $449,600,000.00 budget for 2019.

The budget was introduced on February 19 and then was adopted at the March 18 freeholder meeting after a public hearing was held.

“The Board has taken a hard line approach to ensure that each County department is being fiscally responsible. We are currently using a similar amount of fund balance as the revenue that we regenerated during the year and work to ensure future financial stability with all bond rating agencies,” Monmouth County Freeholder Director Tom Arnone said. “It is important to note that even though department spending has gone down, we have kept the quality of services at the level our residents have come to expect.”

The 2019 spending plan of $449,600,000.00 includes $305,500,000.00 in taxes and incorporates a reduction in County department budgets of nearly $1,500,000.00.

For comparison, in 2010 the County’s budget was $493,400,000.00.

The annual budget covers the cost of maintaining 1,000 lane miles of roads, more than 900 bridges, 16,000 acres of County parks, emergency management services, 911 emergency communications, law enforcement through the Prosecutor’s and Sheriff’s offices, elections, deed recording and passport services in the County Clerk’s Office, probates and adoptions through the Surrogate’s office as well as numerous additional programs and benefits.

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