Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders adopted an amended 2013 budget, a $288,571,218 plan that limits spending while maintaining services, on June 27.
The budget calls for $243,809,895 to be raised by taxation, a levy that was reduced by $4.3 million since the budget’s presentation to the board in late February.
The board also approved an open space tax of two cents per $100 of equalized assessed value for 2013, a penny less than the rate the administration had initially sought in order to meet the need for open space acquisitions, recreational development, historic preservation and land stewardship.
Last year’s two-cent level resulted in a net tax levy reduction of $8.5 million.
County taxes are equalized to reflect the difference between municipal property assessments and property market values. A resident’s tax rate will rise or fall depending on his or her municipality.
