Hillsborough Mayor Catherine Payne Signs Property Tax Relief Pledge, Urges State to Restore Vital Municipal Funding

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ – At the June 23rd Township Committee meeting, Mayor Catherine Payne announced the signing of the Mayor's Pledge for Property Tax Relief. The initiative calls on New Jersey's Governor and Legislature to fully restore Energy Tax Receipts and increase municipal aid to help ease the burden on local property taxpayers.

Municipal governments provide critical everyday services that residents depend on, including public safety, emergency response, sanitation, infrastructure maintenance, and other core community functions. However, municipalities across the state are currently facing rising costs due to inflation, employee healthcare, utilities, insurance, environmental compliance, and various state-mandated obligations, such as stormwater management requirements.

Energy Tax Receipts were originally established to compensate municipalities for the loss of local utility property tax revenues. Over the years, those revenues have not been fully restored to the communities they were intended to support, leaving local budgets to absorb the financial pressure.

Through the signed pledge, Mayor Payne respectfully calls on state leaders to fully restore Energy Tax Receipts to New Jersey municipalities consistent with the state's original commitments. The pledge also advocates increasing municipal aid to account for inflation, rising operating costs, and unfunded state-driven mandates, while reaffirming the state's commitment to a fair and dependable partnership with local governments. The overarching goal is to ensure municipalities can continue delivering high-quality services while reducing pressure on local property taxpayers through stable, formula-based funding.

"Property taxpayers deserve meaningful relief, and that relief must begin with a stronger commitment from the State to support local government," said Mayor Catherine Payne. "By restoring Energy Tax Receipts and increasing municipal aid, the State can help communities remain strong, fiscally responsible, and responsive to the needs of the people we serve."

About Hillsborough Township

Hillsborough Township is a Somerset County community governed by a five-member Township Committee and committed to transparent government, responsive services, and a high quality of life for all residents.

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