Mayor Touts Fiscal Progress In Chatham At Reorganization Meeting

CHATHAM, NJ — The Chatham Borough Council held its annual reorganization meeting to kick off the new year, during which Mayor Thaddeus Kobylarz reflected on the administration's accomplishments.

During the Monday, Jan. 9 reorganization, Mayor Kobylarz touted Chatham's fiscal recovery over the last few years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as discussed his upcoming goals for the borough.

The meeting began with the official swearing-in of re-elected council members Irene Treloar and Karen Koronkiewicz to new three-year terms on the all-Democratic council. Koronkiewicz was also unanimously chosen to succeed Treloar as council president for 2023.

"While it's been my distinct honor to serve as the council president in 2022, I am ready to pass the baton to what I know to be very capable hands," Treloar said.

Kobylarz began the meeting by thanking the many people who contribute to the borough's well-being, including members of the governing body, members of municipal boards and commissions and the municipality's volunteer workers and employees.

One of the main accomplishments of the year, Kobylarz claimed, was Chatham's success in keeping its municipal tax rate low.

The total municipal operating budget for 2022 was $16,154,647, with property taxes covering $9,870,079 of that. This amounts to $3,368 per $800,000 assessed home for municipal services such as police, public works, fire protection, engineering, health and community services.

Chatham Borough's municipal tax rate increased by less than two percent in 2022, despite several cost increases and a continued drop in parking and court revenues due to the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in the first half of the year.

The borough also had to grapple with:

• a 6 percent increase in state-mandated police pension payments
• a 12 percent increase in state-managed general employee pension payments
• a 22 percent increase in costs at the sewer plant to pay for major capital improvements

"From a fiscal standpoint, the unprecedented turbulence faced by the borough during the height of the pandemic from early 2020 through early 2022 improved substantially during the second half of last year," Kobylarz said. "Revenue shortfalls stemming from previous sharp decreases in daily parking permits, court fees, and interest, abated measurably during this period. Given this encouraging trend, we anticipate a return to more normal revenue streams in 2023."

The borough also highlighted its ongoing effort to upgrade Garden Park, which was completed in 2022 with the installation of two fully resurfaced basketball courts. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held this fall to officially name the courts after long-time Chatham basketball coach and volunteer Phil Perrone, and a monument was erected in his honor.

Kobylarz stated that they plan to renovate the three remaining tennis courts in 2023. In addition, the borough plans to build a large canopy over the respite area and improve the park's landscaping.

Economic development is also on the council's agenda, as they discussed past and future efforts to ease the process of establishing new businesses in Chatham and making life easier for existing ones.

"I’m happy to report that Main Street has experienced something of a renaissance during these past few years, with a slew of new businesses and eateries appearing in our downtown," Kobylarz said.

The reorganization meeting this year was the first in two years to be held in person. Because of the pandemic, the meeting could only be held virtually in 2021 and 2022.