A: A municipal budget is like the township’s checkbook. It details what Hillsborough Township expects to bring in as revenue and how it plans to spend those funds. It impacts all township services, from road repairs to public safety and recreation.

A: The budget determines how your tax dollars are spent. It funds essential services such as fixing potholes, keeping parks open, plowing snow, and maintaining public safety. Changes in the budget can affect the quality and availability of these services.

A. Yes, the local purpose tax rate is increasing from 0.314 in 2025 to 0.323 in 2026, a change of 0.009. This means residents will see a modest increase in their municipal tax bill.

A: School: 65.01% (rate: 1.410), County: 16.23% (rate: 0.352) Local: 14.89% (rate: 0.323), Fire: 2.58% (rate: 0.056) Local Open Space: 1.29% (rate: 0.028) Total tax rate: 2.169

A: Fund Balance: $1,700,000 (4%), Miscellaneous Revenues: $9,870,286.04 (23%) Delinquent Taxes: $700,000 (2%) Current Year Taxes: $30,792,776.73 (72%) Total revenue: $43,063,062.77

A: Key expenditure categories include:

Public Safety $10,615,750.00   25%
Public Works $4,046,010.25     9%
General Government   $3,700,052.47  9%
Land Use $550,350.00 1%
Recreation/Health/Social Services $2,403,953.05  6%
Court $680,224.50 2%
UCC $1,362,705.00  3%
Debt Service  $2,674,336.00  6%
Reserve for Uncollected Taxes (RUT)  $1,468,627.72  3%
Utilities $1,810,950.00 4%
Insurance $5,302,184.14 12%
Pension/FICA $5,705,487.00 13%
Capital $445,000.00 1%
Grants $1,595,988.92 4%
Deferred charges $328,671.72 1%
Declared Emergencies $320,272.00 1%
Judgements $52,500.00 0%
Total
$43,063,062.77

A: Residential properties: 87.28%, Commercial: 5.22%, Industrial: 2.49%,        Apartments: 3.19%Farm: 1.08%, Land: 0.74%

For an average residential assessment of $628,000:

 Proposed increase: $55.56, Without assessed value increase: $161.87

A: Fund Balance: $1,700,000 (4%), Miscellaneous Revenues: $9,870,286.04 (23%) Delinquent Taxes: $700,000 (2%) Current Year Taxes: $30,792,776.73 (72%) Total revenue: $43,063,062.77

A. The school budget is estimated at $134,511,625.86 (estimated) for 2026, up from $131,874,143 in 2025. School taxes are a major component of your overall property tax bill.

UPDATE: The Hillsborough Township Board of Education approved a $181.7 million budget for the 2026-27 school year on April 30, 2026, featuring a 1.31% tax levy increase to manage rising costs and declining state aid. The final plan required roughly $1 million in cuts from the initial proposal to limit tax hikes, resulting in an average homeowner increase of $960.85 annually.

A:

Introduction: April 28,

DLGS Review,

Public Hearing/Adoption: May 26

A. The Open Space, Recreation, Farmland, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund will raise $2,670,602.84 in 2026 for land development, maintenance, and preservation activities.

A. The actual percentage of tax collection from 2025 was 99.30%. Even with this high collection rate, the township still requires a Reserve for Uncollected Taxes (or RUT) of $1,468,627.72 to ensure budget stability (mandatory payments and its own operating costs).

A. Grants ($1,580,108.04) and state aid ($3,307,586) help fund community projects, public safety, environmental programs, and offset local tax requirements.

A:

Pensions: $284,826 (7% increase),

JIF (Joint Insurance Fund): $134,059 (13% increase)

HIF (Health Insurance Fund): $448,500 (12.7% increase)

Total significant increases: $867,385