The township committee introduced an $8.2 million budget last week.
EAST GREENWICH TWP. -- Township committee has introduced an $8.2 million 2016 budget, which will result in a static tax rate for its residents.
A budget with no tax increase is a sharp change from the problems East Greenwich had seen in recent years, as the township had budget shortfalls in 2013 and 2014 that required massive cuts and exceeding the two percent tax cap, as well as delaying a debt payment in order to get closer to a balanced budget.
In 2015 East Greenwich's budget went up 5.8 cents per $100 of assessed value. This year's zero percent increase is the first in recent history.
"Our courage and commitment to a zero based budgeting process proves government can be run like a business," Mayor Dale Archer said in a written release.
East Greenwich's surplus has also gone up from $16,000 in 2014 to $1.2 million in 2016, according to Archer.
With a tax rate of 35.6 cents per $100 of assessed value, the owner of a home assessed at the township average of $269,454 will pay approximately $959 in municipal government taxes in 2016.
"We continue to do more with less, like our schools do," Committeeman Stephen Bottiglieri said in a release last week. "We've maximized shared services, made financially sound decisions and restructured debt. By consolidating and controlling new debt and always looking for savings, this committee will propel our township down the road of financial stability for years to come."
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