Long Branch Council Briefs: Tax decrease, pool fees

By Neil Schulman
Long Branch — Taxes are down this year, in the city, state, and school.
At the June 9 City Council meeting, Long Branch officials introduced the 2021 Municipal Budget, which calls for a tax decrease of approximately 5 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

Because of annual reassessments, homes may be valued at a different rate than last year and the taxes may be hard to compare, but Mayor John Pallone said that “over 70 percent” of households will see either no increase or a decrease in their taxes.

The reduced tax rate doesn’t come with any change in services.

The municipal budget isn’t the only thing which goes into determining the tax rate; school and county budgets also require taxes. But there’s good news on those fronts too. Pallone said that the total tax decrease in Long Branch from all three of those services this year is about 9 cents per $100 of assessed property value.
“That dramatic a decrease in the rate has not taken place in years,” Pallone said.

Pool fees set
Council also introduced an ordinance setting the fees and other regulations for new municipal pool at Pleasure Bay Park.

Prepare your home for outdoor fun at Ace Hardware

Daily badges will be $8 a day for those between the ages of 14 and 61. Children under 5 are free. Both seniors and children ages 5-13 are $5. There is no fee for active duty military, as long as they are city residents, or for active volunteer fire or first aid squad members. Both of those groups can also bring one guest for free.

Children under 16 must be accompanied by someone 18 or older.