Middlesex 2025 Budget – Same Song, Different County

Sep 29, 2025

As expected, Middlesex is following the same track flagged in Union and Somerset: tax bills climb despite a lower rate, employee costs and capital spending climb, and outside money is drying up.

Middlesex County’s 2025 budget gets to $618.9 million, up from $592.2 million in 2024. The 4.5% increase doesn’t look alarming. But how they got there may be the issue. Just like Union and Somerset, the brunt lands on local taxpayers.

The county’s general tax rate dropped 3.4% from the prior year. Politicos may point to that as “relief” but the real driver is the ratable base, which jumped 8.5%. With more taxable value on the rolls, the county could raise the levy by nearly $23 million (to $503.4 million) while still showing a rate cut. For the average homeowner, that means bigger tax bills.

Salaries and wages jumped more than 6% (PERS and PFRS) and social security payments rose as well, part of a $41.6M bucket for statutory charges. The county may point out it has saved “over $50 million” in payroll and benefits since the 2009 downturn but costs are back on the upswing in 2025.

Capital spending increased by $10 million to $87.6M, a 12.9 percent jump. Debt service fell sharply, from $49.8M in 2024 to $35.4M in 2025 (a 29% drop). That relief gave Middlesex room to grow other lines without pushing the top number too high. Still, the balance of outstanding debt sits at more than $157.7M, and future projections keep debt service flat at $35M through 2030.

This is where the pressure shows.

State and federal grants dropped from $18.8M to $17.3M. State aid ticked up slightly, from $2.53M to $2.71M, but the increase doesn’t come close to covering the losses everywhere else.

Revenues from fees, permits, and other special items also slid by about $6M.

Put together, outside revenues shrank by more than $7M, while the levy rose by $23M to keep the books balanced. Middlesex also pulled $5M from surplus to plug holes. That is less than last year, but still a sign the cushion is being used.

Budget Snapshots

Top Departmental Increases

Department	2024 ($)	2025 ($)	Change ($)
Dept. of Children & Families	0	3,008,959	+3,008,959
Prosecutor’s Office	1,475,000	4,346,000	+2,871,000
Planning Board	5,450,000	7,500,000	+2,050,000

Top Departmental Decreases

Department	2024 ($)	2025 ($)	Change ($)
Social Services – Welfare Board	30,538,635	30,405,315	−133,320
Sheriff (coded staff lines)	126–3,116	13–3,425	−113 to −414
Prosecutor’s Agent / Assistants	820–1,037	323–393	−426 to −714
County Administrator / Admin units	94–543	9–105	−85 to −438
Cultural & Heritage Admin	115	27	−88

Anomalies

Department / Line	2024 ($)	2025 ($)	Change ($)	Analysis
Aggregate Line (unspecified)	65,994,694	156,889,438	+90,894,744	Subtotal/reclassification;Not an operating increase.
Parks	3,690,000	80,640,000	+76,950,000	Appropriation from Fund or bond authorization. Not annual Parks operations.
Maintenance of Patients – Mental Health	0	32,739,677	+32,739,677	. Transfer, not new spending.