The budget maintains county services and is expected to extend Burlington County’s record of having the lowest average county tax in the state.
The Burlington County Board of Commissioners has adopted a 2026 county budget that continues its commitment to affordability and essential services while also prioritizing investments in county infrastructure and land preservation.
The $281-million spending plan was unanimously approved on April 22, along with the county’s Open Space and Farmland Preservation Tax and the Burlington County Library Tax Levy. The budget maintains county services and is expected to extend the county’s record of having the lowest average county tax in the state, with a credit score near the top of the rating scale.
The county’s cost per resident for operations is also projected to remain the lowest in the state at $464 per resident. Among its regional neighbors, the county spends 30% less per resident than Gloucester County, 35% less than Camden and 68% less than Ocean County.
The budget raises the county’s farmland preservation and open-space tax from 0.005 cents to 4 cents per $100 of property value. It is projected to raise about $28.3 million to fund farmland and open-space preservation; parks and trail improvements; and art, history, nature, fitness and cultural programs offered by the county park system.
Enhancements to county parks are also in the works, including updates to the playgrounds and rest rooms at Long Bridge Park in Hainesport to improve accessibility, and engineering/planning for new regional trails across Route 130 to Willingboro and Delran, and 50 miles of possible pathways through Maple Shade, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Medford, Evesham, Tabernacle and Shamong.
The library tax levy remains unchanged at $14 million and will support the operations of the library system’s main branch in Westampton, along with its 14 community branches and member libraries. The zero tax follows the library system’s switch to a fine-free return policy for most materials in July 2024. Since the change, the libraries have reported substantial increase in activity.
Renovations were completed this year to the Pemberton branch, and work is underway on major improvements to the Cinnaminson library. A third renovation project is also expected to start soon at the Evesham branch and planning has begun for similar improvements in Westampton.
The 2026 budget calls for a $212-million operating tax levy that complies with the state’s statutory cap and maintains the county workforce. Total salaries and wages increased $4.6 million, largely from negotiated contract increases or projected ones. The plan also budgets for a $5.6-million increase in worker health benefits, a $756,000 increase in debt service and a $949,063 increase in the county’s contribution for employee pensions.
More than 24% of the budget spending is for public safety, including salaries and operation of the county prosecutor’s office, the corrections department, the Office of Emergency Management and central communications. About 15% is for insurance, including liability and employee health-benefit expenses, and 8% is for Health Department and Human Services operations and programs, including the Hope One and Hope One mobile outreach vehicles, county Office on Aging programs and the county’s Housing Hub and new Food Hub.
Approximately 8% is for public works, including repairs and maintenance of the county’s more than 500 miles of highways and 400 bridges. The spending plan also maintains the county’s annual support to the Burlington County Institute of Technology, Burlington County Special Services School District and Rowan College at Burlington County.
The county plans to use $14.5 million of its $34 million fund balance from 2025 to support this year’s spending. Officials still anticipate ending 2026 with more than $28 million in fund balance and reserves.
