Mahwah Township Council Introduces Budget with 'Very Modest Tax Increase'

The Mahwah Township Council introduced the municipality’s annual operating and capital budgets during last week’s meeting.

The annual operating budget included local spending of $37,553,311 with a municipal tax rate of $.382 - a 1.9 percent “modest tax” increase from last year’s $.375 rate.

According to Council President John Roth, the council’s municipal budget:

• Maintains police staffing at last year’s level and replaces two retired officers
• Maintains last year’s staffing levels in all other Township departments
• Restores twice a week residential garbage pickup year round
• Maintains all recreation and Senior Center programs from last year
• Adds a new dishwasher to the Senior Center, replacing a broken unit
• Provides increased funding for MEMS Ambulance Service
• Upgrades the Mahwah pool, including a pool water heating system and various recreation activities
• Maintains a strong operating reserve projected at $6.1 million

According to Roth, the small tax increase is much less than Mayor Bill Laforet’s Feb. 19 budget recommendation which included an annual tax rate increase of 3.5 percent.

“The council invested over 140 man hours working to make significant changes to the mayor’s operating and capital budgets,” Roth said. “The council’s revisions maintain and improve the quality of services delivered, strengthen our infrastructure and provide strong reserve levels with a very modest tax increase.”

The council also reduced the mayor’s recommended capital budget from $6.6 million to $3.5 million by removing major items from the mayor’s budget, such as the movement of the DPW facility from its present location and a digital radio system, which would have each cost $2 million, according to Roth.

The council’s capital budget will include:

• Extensive repairs to the two most damaged categories of roads
• Five new DPW vehicles, including a heavy duty loader, sander and dump truck
• New ambulance replacing a vehicle that is over 10-years-old
• Fire Department air supply upgrades and two new trucks
• New integrated electronic record keeping system serving police, fire and OEM’
• Pool building renovations, including new bathrooms, family bathroom and kitchen modernization

“The council put forth a tremendous effort in developing a sound and prudent financial plan for Mahwah in 2015,” Roth said. “Every member of the council contributed this effort in a significant way and they have served the residents of our community well by holding tax increases to a minimum.”

Roth finished by saying “the council delivered on the often made promise to control tax increases.”