By a vote of 4-3, the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors approved $95,573,367 in general fund expenditures for fiscal year 2027 during its budget work session held last Thursday night in the colonial courthouse. Board chair Ashley Chriscoe, Nick Bonniville and Shannon Hanson were the dissenters. The board also voted to bring the real estate rate to 0.583 cents per $100 of assessed value at a vote of 4-3. The new rate is projected to generate $3 million in additional real estate tax revenue. The meals tax rate was adjusted from 4 to 6 percent at a vote of 5-2, with Chriscoe and Hanson dissenting. The cigarette tax was enacted at a rate of 0.02 cents per cigarette. Hanson was the sole dissenter. At the beginning of budget discussions, Chriscoe discussed the county’s civic contributions that appeared in the budget, showing an increase of $115,186. This was brought to Chriscoe’s attention by Interim County Administrator George Bains. “I thought our plan was to not add any new or increa...