Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio
Cape May County’s proposed 2025 operating budget will reduce taxes for the third consecutive year, representing a unique “three-peat” that underscores the county’s strong financial position, the county’s top elected official says.
Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio revealed the good news for taxpayers while delivering the county’s budget address at a board meeting Tuesday.
“We all saw the Eagles prevent the Chiefs from attaining the three-peat,” Desiderio said of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl win over Kansas City. “But the county of Cape May is achieving the three-peat with back-to-back-to-back tax rate decreases. Yes, this is our third consecutive year of a tax decrease.”
The 2025 budget is so strong that it “may be our best ever,” Desiderio said.
He added that in 2025, the county will decrease the tax rate by nearly two cents per $100 of assessed value, or $671,000 overall. It is the first time since 1993 that Cape May County’s overall tax levy has been reduced.
“There is likely not a county in the state of New Jersey that is as financially strong as Cape May County,” Desiderio said.
As its director, Desiderio heads the Board of Commissioners, the elected body overseeing county government. The board introduced the proposed budget at its meeting Tuesday. Desiderio said the county will hold public presentations on the budget before the board schedules a final vote.
“We will continue to work vigorously with great respect and admiration for the people we serve,” he said of the county’s collaboration with taxpayers on the budget. “Cape May County is in strong financial health and well-positioned to address the issues before us today and well into the future.”
Funding for the Cape May County Zoo will be among the infrastructure improvements.The county is able to reduce taxes at a time when inflationary pressures nationwide are making it more expensive for people to buy basic necessities, Desiderio pointed out.
“With this in mind, our board is grateful to be able to provide this financial relief to the people of our county during an economy when the cost of food, energy, fuel and other basic necessities has skyrocketed,” he said.
Overall, the budget will be funded by $165 million in county taxes and another $58.6 million in surplus funds, grants and miscellaneous revenue.
“We continue to pave roads, fix drainage, improve our parks, zoo, active and passive recreation, provide services for the elderly and less fortunate, and building bridges,” Desiderio said while summarizing the county’s spending priorities.
Major infrastructure projects include $50 million for repairs and upgrades to the aging 96th Street Bridge in Stone Harbor and $12 million to rehabilitate the superstructure of the Grassy Sound Bridge linking North Wildwood and Stone Harbor through Middle Township.
The county also plans to spend $4 million to $5 million for concept studies to eventually replace the antiquated Grassy Sound, Great Channel, Townsends Inlet, and Corson’s Inlet bridges.
The total cost for the county’s road paving and construction projects in 2025 is $35.6 million.
There are also plans for a new county justice complex to be built at an estimated cost of $22 million to $24 million.
