Union County collected $62.9 million less in revenue last year and spent $59.9 million less, but its independent auditor found nothing wrong with the books.
The county's annual audit synopsis, published Wednesday, July 29, listed zero recommendations from auditor Steven D. Wielkotz of Wielkotz & Company LLC. No findings. No flags. That's the cleanest possible result under New Jersey's statutory audit process, which requires counties to publish a summary including any recommendations.
For Summit residents, who pay into Union County's tax levy based on their property's equalized value, the audit is the annual public check on how the county handles roughly $2.86 billion in assets.
The numbers
Total revenue fell about 9 percent, from $692.6 million in 2024 to $629.7 million in 2025. Total expenditures dropped a nearly identical 9 percent, from $651.7 million to $591.8 million. The parallel decline meant the county did not run a structural deficit. Revenue still exceeded spending by $37.9 million.
The current fund balance (the county's operating reserve) dipped slightly from $198.3 million to $197.5 million. The county drew $38.75 million from that reserve in both years to support operations.
Where the money went
Property tax collections actually rose, climbing from $373.7 million in 2024 to $380.3 million in 2025. The big swing came from a different line: "Miscellaneous Other Than Property Tax Levies," which includes federal and state grants, plunged $67.2 million year over year.
County Manager Ed Oatman flagged the broader trend in his 2026 executive budget letter, writing that federal funding supporting essential services "has already been cut," with SNAP funding down several million dollars and an additional $7 million reduction anticipated. That budget document also shows the county earned $17.1 million in interest on investments in 2025 against just $1.9 million budgeted. Without that windfall, the revenue decline would have been steeper.
Debt and cash position
The county paid down about $32 million in bonds and notes, reducing outstanding debt from $574 million to $541.9 million. Cash, investments, and prepaid debt service grew by $18.8 million to $722.5 million.
What it means locally
Summit's 2025 average property tax bill was $19,701, with an effective rate of 1.475 percent, according to county property tax records. The county apportions its levy strictly by each town's equalized true market value, so Summit's share rises or falls with local property assessments rather than county spending alone.
Union County officials did not respond to a request for comment on the audit results.
How to see the full report
The complete audit, covering the calendar year ending Dec. 31, 2025, is on file at the Union County Clerk's Office, 2 Broad St., Elizabeth, NJ 07207. Any resident may inspect it. James E. Pellettiere, clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, signed the published synopsis.
