2025 Morris County Budget Adopted
No Tax Rate Increase for 6th Consecutive Year
The Morris County Board of County Commissioners tonight unanimously adopted a $376.6 million budget for 2025, holding the county tax rate steady for the sixth consecutive year while expanding funding for public safety, human services, education and critical infrastructure.
“Despite rising costs beyond our control, we have once again kept the county tax rate stable," said Commissioner Deborah Smith, chair of the County Budget Committee. "Over the past five years, inflation has averaged 4.24 percent annually, yet we have limited our budget growth to just 2.89 percent per year. This careful financial management allows us to continue and expand the quality services our residents have come to expect while being mindful of the financial pressures they and our business community face.”
The county budget includes the 2025 Capital Spending Plan, which allocates nearly $36 million to maintain critical infrastructure supporting education, public safety and human services. The total capital spending plan of $48.6 million is offset by $12.8 million in various grants.
The 2025 budget designates $39.7 million for Health and Human Services, including additional staff for the Office on Aging, Disabilities & Community Programming and the Office of Temporary Assistance. The budget also maintains last year’s doubled emergency assistance funding of $300,000 for the homeless and $150,000 first added in 2024 for homelessness prevention programs.
A combined $83 million is allocated to public safety, which includes full dispatch services for 23 municipalities and back-up services for all 39 Morris County towns. In 2024, the county’s Basic Life Support Emergency Medical Service Unit responded to more than 3,794 emergency calls.
“We are expanding our commitment to law and public safety with investments in equipment, software and AI technology to help the Prosecutor’s Office meet growing state mandates for processing and storing digital evidence,” said Commissioner Douglas Cabana.
Additional 2025 Budget Highlights
$9.4 million to support the Morris County Park Commission, which manages 20,455 acres of parkland -- the largest county park system in New Jersey.
Nearly $25 million for education, including career training at the County College of Morris and the Morris County Vocational School District.
A record $900,000 for Economic Development and Tourism for the second straight year, including $100,000 to plan the celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary in Morris County.
“We are increasing our allocation to CCM by $250,000 and dedicating $4.5 million in our capital budget toward constructing the new Center for Health Professions Building," said Commissioner John Krickus. “Investing in education will help ensure students have the resources and facilities they needed to excel in high-demand fields, opening doors to rewarding careers while providing Morris County businesses with a highly skilled workforce.”
Local municipalities will also benefit from a subsidized enterprise arrangement with Nearmap, which provides high-resolution aerial mapping technology. This tool enhances efficiency and supports informed decision-making in engineering, public works, law enforcement, planning and zoning, code enforcement and tax assessment.
