Red Bank commission gives staff direction to build budget with 2% COLA; stormwater supervisor hiring deferred

City staff were directed to prepare a proposed fiscal-year budget that includes a 2% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for employees and to aim to reduce reliance on fund balance compared with the current year.

During discussion, several commissioners said they preferred a larger COLA (some favoring 2.5%), but agreed to staff’s recommendation to present a 2% figure for the upcoming first reading. City Manager Mr. Grama said staff will “dive into the department's plans” to find additional efficiencies and try to keep the use of fund balance lower than the present year.

Commissioners expressed concern about delaying one position: a proposed stormwater supervisor role recommended in the city's stormwater asset management plan. Commissioner Holmes said she had “significant heartburn” about postponing the hire, noting the plan recommends a dedicated supervisor to oversee stormwater investment and maintenance. The commission acknowledged that the stormwater supervisor position, including benefits, represented an estimated recurring cost of about $81,000 and that staff could not accommodate it in the budget as currently proposed.

Council members also discussed other program-level items, including maintaining a $10,000 line for library cards issued to residents. Manager Grama said the $10,000 was proposed to preserve the existing pilot program and to allow for outreach and retention of eligible households.

Staff said they will prepare the proposed budget with the 2% COLA for the next meeting’s first reading and will meet individually with commissioners to review department lines before final action. No final budget vote was taken at the meeting; the commission agreed staff should proceed along the 2% guidance but reserved the right to adjust before adoption.