Township council cited a resident’s donation of gym equipment to the police department at its May 18 meeting and approved a 2026 municipal budget that increases the property tax but does not cut services.
Council thanked Tony Chowdhury, founder of Fusion Gyms, for his donation, and Deputy Mayor Silvia Catalan-Culnan read a proclamation commending him at the meeting.
“Acts of generosity and community partnership strengthen the bonds between businesses and public service organizations,” she read. “He has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to supporting the health and wellness of those who serve and protect our community, and his donation of gym equipment to the police department provides officers with valuable resources to maintain physical fitness, resilience and overall well-being in the performance of their demanding duties.
“This kind act and contribution,” the document added, “shows a dedication to enhancing the quality of life and safety within the Mount Laurel community.”
The new budget was presented by township manager Meredith Riculfy. Of the local property tax, 13% goes to the township, 14.4% to Burlington County, 1.1% to open space, 37.3% to the school district, 1.5% to the library, 24.6% for regional schools and 7.28% for the fire district.
For the average township home assessed at $241,200, the budget will raise the municipal tax by $93.60 a year, or $7.80 monthly.Â
The property tax share of the budget will fund services such as police and animal control; EMS; trash removal and disposal; snow removal; and pothole repairs, along with park and public property maintenance, township events, utilities and street lighting.
Riculfy explained that $9.6 million was utilized from the township’s surplus fund to balance the budget; the majority of those funds will be replenished, she added. Costs increased for snow service ($1.1 million), health insurance ($677,000), general liability (up $134,000), EMS ($134,000) and police pensions ($123,000).
“I don’t think it’s a well-known fact, but Mount Laurel EMS is the busiest in Burlington County,” Riculfy noted. “They responded to over 7,000 calls. This required an extra (specialized emergency medical vehicle) to be put on duty to ensure that (EMS) would be able to respond to all of our residents in a timely fashion.”
Based on 2025 revenue, the township anticipates earning $2.1 million from its municipal occupancy tax (a fee on temporary lodging like hotels or on real estate used for commercial business purposes), $1.8 million from EMS billings, more than $700,000 from cannabis stores and $185,000 from franchise fees.
The budget can be viewed in its entirety at www.mountlaurel.com.
