Elmwood Park council adopts 2025 municipal budget after amendment; average homeowner set to pay $269
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Summary
On April 17 the Elmwood Park mayor and council adopted a $23,621,407 municipal budget for 2025 after approving an amendment that reduced the average homeowner's tax to $269 (assessed at $330,000). Council approved related ordinances to exceed budget caps and the amended budget by 5-2 votes amid criticism about limited time for deliberation.
Elmwood Park Mayor Robert Coletti and the borough council adopted the 2025 municipal budget on April 17, approving $23,621,407 in municipal appropriations and setting the tax rate so the average homeowner (assessed at $330,000) will pay $269 for the year after a council amendment.
The budget adoption followed the council's vote to pass an ordinance to exceed municipal appropriation limits and to establish a cap bank and then to approve an amendment to the introduced budget that lowered the average-tax figure from more than $320 to $269 per home. The final adoption passed by a 5-2 roll-call vote.
The budget's authors and finance officials told the council that the increase is driven largely by mandated or market-driven costs. Chief financial officer Roy Brigatino said the borough faced increases in insurance, garbage collection, pensions and an increased library appropriation and that the changes amounted to roughly $2,000,000 in added expenses. "The number right now is for this evening to adopt is $269 a house," Brigatino said.
Mayor and council auditor Paul Lurch outlined longer-term context, saying several prior years of limited tax increases had reduced the borough's surplus and created a multi-year shortfall. "Surplus dropped last year almost $3,000,000," Lurch said, and said the 2025 budget attempts to stabilize reserves while keeping this year's increase smaller than what would have been required to address the cumulative deficit in a single year.
Opposition on the council focused on process and deliberation time. Councilman Golubek said the council had "spent less than 1 hour as a group discussing an 8% tax increase" and said he would vote no. Other council members said they had reviewed the budget in workshops and with finance staff and supported the amended figure.
Votes on the budget-related items matched the same 5-2 split. An ordinance to exceed municipal appropriation limits (identified in the meeting record as the ordinance to establish a cap bank) passed on final reading by roll call with Councilmembers Sampson, Sheridan, Tracy and Choisy and Council President Pellegreen voting yes and Councilmembers Fasolo and Golubek voting no. The subsequent amendment to the introduced budget and final adoption of the 2025 municipal budget passed by the same margin. The council stated the amended budget would replenish reserves and that officials expect a more moderate increase in 2026.
The council also noted the budget includes a required increase in the library appropriation and pension-related expenses over which the borough has limited discretion. Several council members urged continued scrutiny of departmental spending and outreach to residents on how funds are allocated.
The council plans additional routine reporting from the finance office and indicated department heads remain available for member questions; no additional formal direction to staff was recorded at the meeting.