With only Freeholder Tilo Rivas of Union City voting against it, the Hudson County Freeholders voted to pass a $472 million 2011 year budget at their meeting on June 23.
Freeholder Jeff Dublin voted by phone. Jersey City Freeholder Eliu Rivera was absent due to illness.
“The biggest increase is caused by an increase in the cost of health benefits,” said Freeholder Chairman Bill O’Dea. “We were able to cut the amount to be raised by taxes by two million dollars through the review process and have an agreement to further curtail spending to build up surplus.”
The average Jersey City home owner can expect to pay about $10 to $15 dollars more this year as a result of this budget, O’Dea said.
Taxpayers countywide will pay nearly $280 million, a 3.8 percent increase over last year. Guttenberg’s tax levy will decrease by 9.63 percent, while Weehawken and Secaucus saw the biggest increases of the 12 municipalities in Hudson County. Secaucus sees almost a 16 percent increase in county taxes, while Weehawken homeowners will see nearly a 16.7 percent increase. – Al Sullivan