Vineland council introduces 2025 municipal budget, adopts multiple utility and capital ordinances

Mayor Anthony Fanucci introduced the City of Vineland's proposed 2025 municipal budget Tuesday evening and outlined last year's accomplishments and priorities for the coming year, while City Council moved to adopt multiple ordinances tied to utilities and capital improvements.

Fanucci, joined by Chief Financial Officer Susan Baldacero, presented highlights including completion of Fire Station 6, park and trail work at Bormel Pond, nearly 9 miles of roadway paving last year, and an assessed valuation just under $4 billion. He said the city is balancing rising costs and declining state aid while maintaining a healthy fund balance.

The presentation framed why the budget matters: Vineland faces upward pressure on employee health benefits, workers' compensation and pension costs, and Fanucci said those increases have outpaced salaries. He described the city's reserve management and said officials expect a small tax increase, if any, based on current projections. Council voted to introduce the municipal budget by resolution and set the public hearing for April 22, 2025.

Council and administration highlighted several capital and economic projects that inform the budget, including Jake's Park (an inclusive playground awaiting state permitting), the Industrial Park West Campus on the former Ammon Road site, a public library e-sports room, and a large data center project under development. On Jake's Park, Fanucci said state-owned land and permitting issues delayed work but reported those issues resolved and equipment in place for a spring groundbreaking.

During the meeting council adopted a series of ordinances affecting utilities and capital spending. Several were taken up, opened for the public (with no speakers), and adopted by unanimous 5-0 votes. One ordinance's public hearing was postponed because of a publication timing issue; another bond ordinance was passed for first reading and scheduled for a public hearing on April 8.

Public comment included two speakers. Georgette Shelton, CEO of the South Jersey AIDS Alliance, urged the council to reconsider proposed zoning changes (ordinances 27 and 28, not on Tuesday's agenda) that would move substance use treatment centers, mental health agencies and related nonprofits out of B-2 zones. "Changing the zoning of future substance use treatment centers, mental health agencies, nonprofits, and harm reduction centers ... may lead to more overdoses and higher rates of HIV and hepatitis C," Shelton told the council. Resident Alan Nobles raised neighborhood road conditions where pipeline and utility work left bumpy surfaces; councilors directed him to city engineering and said some repaving is expected after county or utility work is complete.

Votes at a glance - Ordinance 2025-19: Amends the Newcomb Hospital redevelopment plan to permit four-story senior housing on specified lots (Blocks 4216 Lots 1.01, 1.02, 1.03 and 1.05). Adopted, vote 5-0. - Ordinance 2025-20: Amends prior ordinances regarding water and sewer utility rights/rates (Ch. 6-87 Pt.4 Art.18). Adopted, vote 5-0. - Ordinance 2025-21: Amends electric service discount / water utility expiration language (Ch. 6-87 Pt.1 Art.7a —687-68.4). Adopted, vote 5-0. - Ordinance 2025-22: Appropriates $1,800,000 from the Water Utility Capital Improvement Fund for various Vineland municipal water utility improvements. Adopted, vote 5-0. - Ordinance 2025-23: Appropriates $10,600,000 from the Electric Utility Capital Improvement Fund for various electric utility improvements. Adopted, vote 5-0. - Ordinance 2025-24: Bond ordinance appropriating $6,000,000 for road, drainage and sidewalk improvements; authorizes issuance of $5,700,000 in bonds/notes. Adopted, vote 5-0. - Ordinance 2025-25: Approves the annual connection fee schedule established by the Vineland Water Utility (transcript references the schedule for the year 2014 pursuant to ordinance 89-105). Adopted, vote 5-0. - Ordinance 2025-26: Bond ordinance providing for various capital improvements (appropriation referenced in the meeting). Public hearing postponed to April 8, 2025, because of a publication issue; no final action taken Tuesday. - Ordinance 2025-29: Bond ordinance providing a supplemental appropriation of $800,000 for closure of the sanitary landfill. Passed first reading; public hearing set for April 8, 2025. - Resolution 2025-135: Introduces the calendar-year 2025 municipal budget. Adopted; public hearing set for April 22, 2025.

What officials said and next steps Mayor Anthony Fanucci and CFO Susan Baldacero framed the budget as a product of multi-year planning and emphasized maintaining reserves. "We have a very healthy fund balance right now for the city," Fanucci said during the presentation, noting the fund balance helps the city respond to catastrophes and avoid steep tax increases. He also stressed long-running constraints on state aid and an antiquated appropriations cap embedded in state law, which he said limits municipal flexibility.

Council President Spinelli and other council members congratulated staff on the budget presentation and repeatedly thanked finance staff members named during the meeting. Council moved forward with the ordinance adoptions by unanimous votes; Franchetti was asked to submit adopted ordinances to the mayor for approval or disapproval as required by the municipal code.

The council did not change substantive policy on the items it adopted Tuesday. The administration and council noted timelines: the municipality will hold a public hearing on the introduced budget on April 22, and at least two ordinance hearings (including the landfill closure and the postponed capital bond ordinance) are scheduled for April 8.

Ending note The meeting combined the annual budget introduction with a slate of utility and capital ordinances that together commit money to water, electric and road projects while keeping the formal budget process on a two-step schedule of introduction and hearing before final adoption. Public comments focused on zoning for behavioral health and substance-use services and on neighborhood road repairs; councilors directed residents to city engineering staff for follow-up and kept schedule decisions for hearings and final approvals on upcoming meetings.