Hackensack City Council discussed and moved forward with a series of finance resolutions at its regular meeting, introducing budget amendments to accept four grants and adopting an increase to the municipal bid threshold.

The council heard an overview from Chief Financial Officer Jim Mangan on four chapter 159 budget amendments that add grant revenue and matching appropriations without increasing the municipal tax levy. "The first 1 is the 2025 clean communities grant ... the amount of $100,650.69," Mangan said, and he listed three other grants including $5,000 from the 200 Club of Bergen County, a $2,428 supplemental Firehouse Subs public-safety grant, and a $191,822.45 summer food program award from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. A staff member later confirmed the combined total as "$299,901."

Mangan also explained a separate finance housekeeping resolution that amends the city’s 2025 cash management plan to update authorized signatories, and the council adopted a resolution to increase the procurement bid threshold from $44,000 to $53,000 in line with the State Treasurer’s directive. He said the higher limit applies because the city has a qualified purchasing agent; without that qualification the threshold would be $17,500. The council also adjusted the quote threshold to 15% of the bid threshold, resulting in a new quote threshold of $7,950.

Why it matters: Accepting these grants increases appropriation authority for specific programs without changing the tax levy, while the bid-threshold increase reduces the number of purchases that must be publicly bid and aligns Hackensack with state procurement allowances for municipalities with a qualified purchasing agent.

Details and outcomes: The council introduced and approved the resolutions on the consent agenda and by voice vote. Resolutions included acceptance of the Clean Communities grant, the 200 Club grant for the Fire Department, the Firehouse Subs supplemental grant, and the Department of Agriculture summer food program grant. The council also approved the cash management plan amendment and the bid-threshold increase. Staff noted a separate resolution to award a state contract for three police vehicles and a cooperative contract for two axial pumps at the East Kennedy Pump Station, both of which were approved.

Discussion versus decision: The CFO’s presentation and public questions about cumulative grant sums were discussion; the council then approved the listed resolutions by voice vote. No individual roll-call vote tallies were recorded in the transcript.

What’s next: The budget amendments and procurement threshold change take effect as municipal practice dictates; staff will implement the amended cash management signatories and use the updated thresholds in awarding contracts.