The Toms River Township Council is scheduled to vote Wednesday, May 13, on final adoption of the township’s 2026 municipal budget.

The council agenda lists a resolution “adopting the calendar year 2026 municipal budget.” The public meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

According to the township’s published 2026 budget, total general appropriations are $142,218,261.80. The amount to be raised by local municipal taxes is listed as $89,893,851.00, after $52,324,410.80 in anticipated revenues other than current property taxes.

What the budget vote does

A municipal budget is the township’s annual spending plan. It authorizes appropriations for municipal operations and sets the local municipal tax levy needed to support that spending.

The May 13 vote follows the budget’s introduction in April. A public notice posted by the township said the budget and tax resolution would be considered for final passage at the May 13 meeting.

The budget documents list:

  • $113,686,800.49 in appropriations within the state spending cap
  • $19,797,721.76 in appropriations excluded from the cap
  • $8,733,739.55 reserved for uncollected taxes
  • $142,218,261.80 in total general appropriations
  • $89,893,851.00 to be raised by local municipal taxes

Those figures are for the municipal budget, not the school district budget or county taxes.

Other items on the agenda

The May 13 agenda also includes final readings for two ordinances and a first reading for one ordinance:

  • An ordinance defining “official business” for municipal vehicle use and setting restrictions on use.
  • An ordinance vacating part of Germania Court between Route 37 West and Wren Place, while accepting a dedication for an extension of Wren Place.
  • A first-reading ordinance adding seven stop-sign intersections to the township code.

The consent agenda includes several development-related guarantee items. The council is scheduled to consider accepting or releasing performance guarantees for projects at 3450 Jefferson Avenue, 2032 Route 37, Route 37 and Bimini Drive, Bimini Drive, 1606 Lakewood Road, and 1051 Hooper Avenue.

Performance guarantees are financial assurances tied to development approvals. They are typically used to ensure required improvements are completed.

The agenda also includes a place-to-place transfer of a plenary retail consumption license issued to Chili Wright LLC for expansion purposes.

What to watch

The biggest item is the budget adoption vote. If it passes, the township’s 2026 spending plan and municipal tax levy move from proposed to adopted.

The Germania Court/Wren Place ordinance is also worth watching because street vacations and dedications can affect public access, development layouts, and nearby property interests. The agenda summary does not explain the underlying project or why the street action is being proposed.

The development guarantee items are routine in form, but the number of them on one agenda suggests multiple projects are moving through post-approval infrastructure or bonding steps.

This article will be updated after the meeting minutes or adopted budget documents are posted.