MORRISTOWN, NJ —TheMorris County Board of County Commissionershas introduced its2025 budget, maintaining azero tax rate increase for the sixth consecutive yearwhile prioritizing investments inpublic safety, human services, education, and infrastructure.
The$376.6 million spending plan, presented during the board’s public meeting, was developed by theBudget Committee, which includes CommissionersDeborah Smith, Doug Cabana, and John Krickus. The proposal is designed to befiscally responsible, structurally balanced, and compliant with state spending capsdespite external cost pressures.
“While we continue to deal with cost increases beyond the county’s control, we have again minimized the impact on our budget, and there will be no county tax rate increase for a sixth consecutive year. Over the past 5 years, the average annual increase in inflation was 4.24 percent, yet we have kept our average annual budget growth to 2.89 percent,” saidCommissioner Deborah Smith, chair of the Commissioners’ Budget Committee.
The proposed budget allocates funding tocritical county servicesandcapital improvements, including:
Public safety remains amajor focusof the budget, with enhanced funding forlaw enforcement, emergency response, and modern technology.
“We are broadening our commitment to law and public safety, including investments in the equipment, software and AI technology that allows our Prosecutor’s Office to meet growing state mandates on the processing and storge of digital evidence generated by modern law enforcement efforts,” saidCommissioner Cabana. “We also will continue funding for our Basic Life Support and Emergency Medical Service Units, which responded to more than 3,764 calls last year, and we have increased staff recruitment at our Communications Center, where the countywide interoperable radio system serves all of Morris County’s 39 towns and provides a long list of additional emergency support services to our residents.”
Additional safety-related allocations include:
The budget strengthens the county’s commitment tohomeless prevention and social services, continuing last year’sboost in emergency assistance fundingand increasing allocations forfood aid and caregiving services.
The county continues to prioritizehigher education and vocational trainingthrough increased funding forCCM and Vo-Tech programs.
“In 2025, our budget will continue our commitment to the County College of Morris and the Morris County Vocational School District. We are increasing our allocation to CCM by $250,000, and we are placing $4.5 million in our capital budget toward building the new Center for Health Professions Building,” saidCommissioner Krickus. “We also are increasing our allocation to Vo-tech by $175,000 in this budget, bringing the total increase over the past four years to $400,000 to support operations inside the new Career Training Center slated to open on the campus at CCM this fall.”
Key investments include:
The 2025 budget integrates theCapital Spending Plan, which was initially introduced in December 2024.
TheMorris County Board of County Commissionerswill hold apublic meeting on March 26to consider the final adoption of the 2025 budget.
Residents can review thefull budget presentationon theMorris County websiteand are encouraged to attend the meeting for further discussion.