Perth Amboy Sets Aug. 12 Hearing on Proposed $102.2M Budget
Perth Amboy’s administration has proposed a $102.2 million municipal budget for 2026, with a public hearing and final consideration scheduled for Aug. 12.
The proposal, presented July 15, would reduce the city’s reliance on one-time surplus funding. It also projects an estimated $213 annual increase in the municipal portion of the property-tax bill for the average assessed home, or about $17.77 per month.
The budget remains a proposal. The city’s final adoption and any changes to the plan had not been established as of Aug. 7.
Hearing set for Aug. 12
The public hearing and final consideration are scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 12 in City Council Chambers at 260 High Street, according to Mayor Helmin J. Caba’s CY2026 budget message.
That meeting is the next identified step in the budget process. The scheduled final consideration does not mean the proposed spending plan has already been enacted.
The City of Perth Amboy’s announcements page continued to list the budget message among the city’s 2026 announcements as of July 26. The same page also listed contemporaneous roadway-improvement and property-tax-relief notices.
Less reliance on surplus
The proposed budget would use approximately $6.3 million in surplus support, down from approximately $10.7 million in 2025. That is a reduction of about $4.3 million in planned surplus reliance.
Using less surplus can change how much of the proposed budget is supported by recurring revenues and how much depends on previously accumulated funds. The packet does not establish the reasons for the change or describe the city’s complete revenue structure, so the reduction should not be treated as a finding about the city’s overall financial condition.
The budget message emphasizes essential services, public safety, infrastructure, redevelopment and economic development. It also includes continued investment in parks, parking, library facilities and redevelopment.
What the tax estimate covers
The estimated $213 increase applies to the municipal portion of the bill for the average assessed home. It does not represent the full projected increase in the property-tax bill, and the estimate would not necessarily apply uniformly to every property.
The municipal portion accounts for approximately 37% of the projected overall increase in the average property-tax bill. Other taxing entities account for the remainder.
That distinction matters for homeowners reviewing the proposal. The city’s budget would affect the municipal share, but the packet does not provide a single total-dollar estimate for the entire property-tax increase or identify the individual amounts attributed to each other taxing entity.
Road and public-facility work
The budget message says Perth Amboy has paved more than 100 streets since 2021 and has more than 35 additional streets scheduled through the end of 2026.
Those roadway figures are presented as part of the budget’s infrastructure context. The proposal also points to parks, parking and library facilities, along with redevelopment and economic-development priorities.
Residents will have the opportunity to address the proposal at the Aug. 12 hearing before the scheduled final consideration. Until the council takes final action, the $102.2 million plan and its estimated tax effects remain proposed figures.
Sources
- Mayor Helmin J. Caba’s CY2026 Budget Message, City of Perth Amboy
- Announcements, City of Perth Amboy
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