The governing bodies of both Maplewood and South Orange will be hosting public budget hearings as the towns construct their municipal budgets for 2025. In 2024, Maplewood passed a $59 million budget with a 4.49% tax levy increase over the 2023 budget. In 2024, South Orange passed a $45M budget with a 4.99% tax levy increase.
Note that municipal taxes represent about 27% of property owners’ local tax bill in Maplewood and South Orange, with Essex County representing about 15%, and the South Orange-Maplewood School District between 56-58%.
According to an announcement from Township Clerk Liz Fritzen, the Maplewood Township Committee will meet in Regular Session at the Maplewood Municipal Building, 574 Valley Street, Maplewood, New Jersey, on the following dates and start time for the purpose of Budget Meetings. These meetings are all open public meetings that will be held in person and virtually (click on the links to join the Zoom):
- Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
- Monday, February 3, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
The South Orange Village Council will host open public budget meetings with Departmental Budget Presentations — in person at the Baird Gallery (5 Mead Street) and virtually on WebEx — on:
January 25: 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with the following departments presenting:
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- Administration 9 to 10 a.m.
- Engineering 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
- South Orange Police Department 11:15 a.m. to 12:15
- Tax Assessor 12:45 to 1:00 p.m.
- Tax Collector 1:00 to 1:15 p.m.
- Clerk 1:15 to 1:30 p.m.
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February 1, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the following departments presenting:
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- Public Works 9 to 10 a.m.
- Recreation 10 to 11 a.m.
- SOPL 11:15 to 11:45 a.m.
- Building 11:45 to 12:00 p.m.
- Health 12:30 to 12:45 p.m.
- IT 1:00 to 1:15 p.m.
- Open Space Trust Fund and Capital Projects 1:15 p.m.
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- February : VC Meeting: Water Budget Presentation
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South Orange also provided the following 2025 budget process schedule on the southorange.org website:
FEBRUARY 2025*
- Organizations Budget Request Presentations to the Village Council:
- FEBRUARY 10: SODT, Environmental Commission
- FEBRUARY 24: CCR, SOPAC & YouthNet
- March Meetings: Co-Lab, SOPA – exact dates TBA
- Public Discussion on Budget
- FEBRUARY 27: Finance Committee Meeting, 10am
MARCH / APRIL 2025*
- March 10: Introduction of Budget Village Council Meeting
- March 13: Introduced Budget Sent to the State for Review
- April 14: Public Comment on Budget and Final Passage
- Upon adoption: Final Budget Sent to the State
