Tax Increase Approved In Somerset County 2025 Budget

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Residents will see a tax increase as part of Somerset County's recently approved budget for 2025, which Commissioners say "both preserves and expands vital services for Somerset County’s residents while also maintaining the County’s important AAA Bond Rating."

"Being able to provide services to Somerset County residents and meet them where they are remains my, and my fellow commissioners', first priority," said Somerset County Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson. "It is imperative, in the current economic and political climate, that the diverse residents of Somerset County feel safe, supported, heard and seen, and are able to easily access the robust services that our County provides. We have carefully considered all aspects of need in the County and are pleased to announce the launch and continuation of indispensable services for individuals, families, small business owners, our educational institutions, corporate partners, and anyone who calls Somerset County home."

The amended budget of $284,571,600, which is up 5 percent from 2024 and includes $239,705,606 to be raised through property taxes, was approved on Tuesday at the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners' bi-monthly meeting.

The average county home valued at $590,863 (up $41,011 from 2024) will see an annual increase of $79.38 in the County’s portion of their property tax bill. The tax rate will decline by 2.29 percent to .2822 from .2888 per $100 of assessed home value.

The County’s total assessed real property value is more than $85 billion, up 8.35 percent from last year and more than 32 percent since 2021.

As part of the budget, the County will continue to partially fund its affiliated agencies, including the County Vocational Technical High School, Raritan Valley Community College, Somerset County Park Commission, Social Services, and Somerset County Business Partnership.

The budget additionally will fund significant infrastructure, including the 38 parks and open space areas which span across 15,000 acres, over 248 miles of county roads, and 752 bridges; high-performing public health services, 911 communications, emergency response, and training capabilities; and the Sheriff’s Office, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the Corrections Facilities.

Additionally, the County launched a county-wide community outreach program that will connect residents with vital services such as behavioral health, food insecurity support, and more.

The budget includes nearly 200 shared services with municipalities and Board of Educations that Commissioners say save taxpayer dollars:

• Providing municipalities and schools with easy access to shared services via the innovative Somerset County Marketplace, including graphics and printing services
• Recycling for all 21 municipalities, including schools, offering shredding, hazardous waste, and other important free recycling services
• Transportation services for six municipalities
• Vehicle maintenance for 30 municipalities and agencies
• Vehicle fuel for more than 50 agencies
• Statewide emergency services training
• Public health services for 10 municipalities
• Full dispatch service for 15 municipalities (two out of county), EMS dispatch services in 7 more towns, plus fire only in 4 towns.
• A statewide cooperative purchasing program.

The County budget will support:

• Economic Development Initiatives: The Economic Development team will be launching a CityData tool to help support downtowns and increase tourism county-wide, and will additionally be launching a volunteer database to help better facilitate corporate and nonprofit partnerships
• Tourism Initiatives: The Tourism wing, managed through the Somerset County Business Partnership, will be working cooperatively with the County's Agriculture Board to launch, "Seeded in Somerset," an innovative agrotourism campaign to help spur growth for local farms, small businesses, restaurants, and more. Additionally, they will be working hand-in-hand with local restaurants and small businesses to prepare for the rapidly approaching FIFA World Cup being held in 2026
• Engineering and Planning Initiatives: County-wide improvements will be continuing, further enhancing traffic safety, county roadway reconstruction and resurfacing, the reconstruction of bridges on both Pottersville Road and Mountain View Road, as well as improvements to County playground facilities at Colonial and North Branch Parks
• Public Works Initiatives: County recycling will be continuing the expansion of the curbside recycling program with an enlargement of the fleet
• Wellness Initiatives: The Health Department will be completing its Public Health Accreditation which will allow the County's staff to further improve health outcomes for communities. The Richard Hall Community Health and Wellness Center will be completing construction of an on-site pharmacy to better serve clients. And, the Human Services Department will be continuing to serve residents by responsibly allocating opioid settlement dollars to vital local community services and groups, as well as will be launching a Mobile Harm Reduction (HEAL) van to support individuals who have a substance use disorder.