Public Hearing, Final Vote Planned For Chester Township Budget

CHESTER, NJ — The Chester Township Council will present its final budget for 2023-24 on Tuesday, May 2, which includes a tax levy increase.

Prior to a final vote from the Council, the public will have a chance to comment and learn more details about the budget.

The meeting will be held Tuesday at the Municipal Building located at 1 Parker Road, Chester, beginning at 7 p.m. Click here to see the full agenda.

Mayor Michael Inganamort presented the budget on April 4, but little information about the specifics was released to the public; however, a more detailed budget presentation is scheduled for Tuesday.

Inganamort discussed the financial strain placed on the township this year in April, which made budgeting more difficult. One major issue that Inganamort highlighted was the state's continued cost increase, which put the township well over the two percent tax cap.

Township officials had to cut other areas of the budget to balance the budget and avoid exceeding the two percent property tax levy cap and the appropriations cap.

We will have a detailed presentation of the budget, including some line-by-line detail, at the public hearing in May. For tonight, I’ll simply repeat what I’ve said at every council meeting this year and most of last year. This was the most difficult budget process Chester Township has faced in more than a decade," Inganamort said.

The planned budget cuts include eliminating any additional funding for road paving and snow removal.

The introduction of the preliminary budget was approved by all of the council members at the April 4 meeting.

According to the council, despite a $230,000 decrease in discretionary spending, mandatory and contractual increases result in a net increase of approximately $171,000, equating to a 1.93 percent tax levy increase.