For every $100 in property taxes paid in Toms River in 2025, about $23 goes to the township, $51 goes to schools, and the rest goes to the county and special districts. Here is what the 2025 adopted budget shows.
Your Tax Dollar Receipt (2025)
Per $100 of Property Taxes (2025)
Based on levy amounts in the 2025 adopted budget. Rounded to nearest cent.
| Category | Amount ($) | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | $50.73 | 50.7% |
| County | $22.56 | 22.6% |
| Township | $23.00 | 23.0% |
| Fire/Special | $2.93 | 2.9% |
| Open Space | $0.79 | 0.8% |
What changed from 2024 to 2025
The biggest shifts in the overall property tax bill are in areas outside the township’s direct control. According to the 2025 budget, the Regional School levy increased by $10,327,528 and Total County Levies increased by $6,528,199. These two changes together account for the majority of any tax increase residents see on their bills.
Within the township budget itself, here are the largest spending and revenue changes:
Largest Township Budget Changes, 2024 → 2025
Township budget only. Does not include school or county changes.
| Line Item | Change |
|---|---|
| Surplus Used | -$11.1M |
| Reserve for Uncoll. Taxes | -$1.7M |
| Capital Surplus | +$1.66M |
| Health Insurance | -$1.45M |
| Police Salaries | -$1.23M |
| Interest on Bonds | +$906K |
| Capital Improvement | -$500K |
Surplus used decreased by $11,105,000. The township used $20,210,000 of surplus to balance the 2024 budget but only $9,105,000 in 2025. The 2025 adopted budget lists a surplus balance of $52,000,491.
Reserve for Uncollected Taxes decreased by $1,693,136. This line item dropped from $9,300,000 in 2024 to $7,606,864 in 2025. This reserve covers the gap between what the township budgets and what it actually collects in taxes.
Capital Surplus increased by $1,656,000. This revenue line rose from $344,000 in 2024 to $2,000,000 in 2025. Capital surplus is leftover money from previous capital projects that can be used to fund current expenses.
Employee Group Health Insurance decreased by $1,450,000. This line dropped from $19,250,000 in 2024 to $17,800,000 in 2025. The budget does not state a reason for the decrease.
Police salaries decreased by $1,230,724. This line dropped from $28,990,000 in 2024 to $27,759,276 in 2025. The budget does not state a reason for the decrease.
Interest on Bonds increased by $906,450. Interest payments on township debt rose from $2,624,850 in 2024 to $3,531,300 in 2025. Total municipal debt service (principal plus interest) increased by $421,909, from $13,642,628 to $14,064,537.
Capital Improvement Fund decreased by $500,000. This line dropped from $800,000 in 2024 to $300,000 in 2025.
What this means for your tax bill
The township portion of the tax bill (~$23 per $100) is only about a quarter of what residents pay. The largest driver of any year-over-year change is the school levy, which accounts for roughly half the total bill and increased by over $10 million.
All figures are from the 2024 and 2025 adopted municipal budgets. Amounts are rounded to whole dollars unless noted.