July 2007

Dear West Windsor Taxpayer:

Enclosed please find your 2007 property tax bill and an insert that provides a more detailed breakdown of how your tax dollars are allocated among the various levels of government.  The 2007 operating budget for the Township General Fund calls for $32,830,000 in expenditures.  Revenue includes $7,683,557 in miscellaneous revenue, $3,167,342 in state aid, $121,150 in grants and $17,651,951 as the amount to be raised by taxation.  The Township plans to utilize $4,206,000 from surplus to support the 2007 Budget, leaving $1,883,903 in surplus reserve to help stabilize taxes in 2008 and 2009.  The municipal tax rate is therefore twenty-eight cents (.28) in 2007, which reflects an increase of one cent (.01) over 2006.

The Municipal Budget represents approximately fourteen percent (14%) of the total tax bill and is the only portion of the tax bill that the Mayor and Township Council can directly control.  This 14% covers all municipal services provided to residents including public safety (police and emergency services), public works (refuse, recycling, parks maintenance and yard waste collection), and human services (health, recreation, senior and social services).  The remaining eighty-six percent (86%) is used to pay for regional schools, county and library taxes and open space acquisition and preservation.

Over the last year, the Township has completed a number of projects.  These include the skate park and dog parks in Community Park, the Bear Brook Bridge and pathway, and the school beacon in Dutch Neck.  The Alexander Road Bridge project is beginning; a number of new road projects have been initiated including the Meadow Road realignment; the Grovers Mill Pond dredging is moving forward; the senior center expansion will be starting; and the next addition to Community Park will be basketball courts with funding assistance from Mercer County.  We will continue to balance projects that the community needs as well as projects the community wants. 

The Township has just received accreditation of our Police Department by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA).  The Township Code Enforcement Division was also awarded a Class 2 classification from ISO, an independent rating organization, for residential property and for commercial and industrial property.  Both of these designations benefit the residents from an insurance perspective.  Congratulations to the West Windsor Police Department and Code Enforcement Division. 

In closing, I would like to acknowledge and thank all of the volunteer residents who serve on the numerous boards and committees for their generous time, talents, and commitment to making West Windsor a truly great place to live.  Together with Township Council and our dedicated Township employees, I look forward to another positive and productive year.

Sincerely,

Shing-Fu Hsueh, Mayor