Trenton council introduces amendments to 2025 municipal and utility budgets; public hearing set for Sept. 16

Trenton City Council introduced amendments to its 2025 municipal current fund and municipal utility budgets at a special meeting on Sept. 10, citing a confirmed $4.5 million reduction in state transitional aid and a Local Finance Board-approved $12.6 million cap waiver. The council voted to introduce the amendments and schedule a public hearing for Sept. 16, with adoption to follow after the hearing if counsel so recommends.

The amendments were presented by VA Richardson, who told the council the administration had received “about $4,500,000 less than we originally, budgeted for” after the state confirmed transitional aid. Richardson said the city went before the Local Finance Board the morning of Sept. 10 and obtained approval for a $12,600,000 cap-waiver application, which the administration said made the changes a substantial amendment that must be introduced immediately so the city can meet Department of Community Affairs (DCA) deadlines and print tax bills on schedule.

Assistant VA Cherry described the next steps: “This is the introduction of the amendment. There will be a public hearing on this amendment on the sixteenth.” Cherry added that DCA requires a minimum three days’ advertisement between introduction and public hearing when an amendment is deemed substantial.

Council members pressed administration staff for clearer explanations and more time to review. Councilwoman Williams said she and other members had not had “enough time to review the budget and review exactly what these numbers mean,” and asked that future submissions include explanatory attachments. Councilwoman Feliciano asked whether the council could review administration-prepared budgets before submission to DCA; legislative counsel Edward Kolodziej said that question involves a mixture of local budget law and the Faulkner Act and that he would need to review the statutes and advise the council.

Finance staff explained the structure of the amendment: some line-item decreases were inside the municipal cap while roughly $12.6 million of spending was moved outside the cap under the newly approved waiver. Staff said the police salary and wage line showed an apparent reduction from about $40 million to $27 million inside the cap, but roughly $11.8 million was moved outside the cap, leaving an actual inside-cap reduction of about $1 million — primarily overtime.

The council voted to introduce and move forward with the amendments so the city could advertise the public hearing and comply with state timing. The council also approved a separate amendment to the municipal utility budget at the same meeting. Both items were advertised as part of the special meeting notice; staff confirmed advertisements would appear in both the Trenton Times and the Trentonian.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 20-5-345: “To approve the calendar year 2025 municipal current fund budget amendments for the City of Trenton” — Motion introduced and seconded; roll call recorded all council members present voting yes. Outcome: approved.

- Resolution 25-3-346: “To approve the calendar year 2025 municipal utility amendments for the City of Trenton” — Motion introduced and seconded; roll call recorded all council members present voting yes. Outcome: approved.

The council also approved a resolution authorizing an executive session “for the purposes of contract negotiations” later in the meeting; officials said they did not anticipate any votes coming out of the executive session.

Why it matters: The amendments reflect confirmed reductions in state transitional aid and use a cap waiver to move significant items outside the municipal cap. Introducing the amendments at the Sept. 10 special meeting allows the city to meet DCA and Local Finance Board timing so tax bills can be printed and fourth-quarter collections processed. Council members asked for clearer, attached explanations for future budget amendments so members and the public have time to review changes before votes.

Next steps: The council set a public hearing on the amendments for Sept. 16; the council may adopt the budget amendments at that meeting pending counsel’s recommendation and the close of the public hearing.