Passaic County adopts $22M and $4.5M bond ordinances; board outlines administrative order on immigration enforcement access
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Summary
The Passaic County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 24 adopted two bond ordinances — $22,000,000 for public improvements and $4,500,000 for courthouse annex exterior restoration — after public hearings with no speakers. Commissioners also described Administrative Order 2026-01, issued Feb. 13, clarifying county policy to protect access to services amid federal immigration-enforcement uncertainty.
The Passaic County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 24 moved and adopted two bond ordinances following public hearings at which no members of the public spoke. The first ordinance appropriates $22,000,000 to pay for various public improvements, replacement equipment, and communications and signal system upgrades; the second authorizes $4,500,000 for exterior restoration of the Passaic County Courthouse Annex (former U.S. Customs House), including the use of a state grant and bond issuance or bond anticipation notes. Both ordinances were opened for public hearing, no one addressed the board, hearings were closed and the ordinances were adopted on roll calls.
The board also discussed Administrative Order 2026-01, issued by the county on Feb. 13. The order, as described in the meeting, clarifies how county buildings and resources are to be used amid increased uncertainty around federal civil immigration enforcement; it is intended to protect access to essential county services, align with New Jersey law and state policy, and reduce fear among residents seeking help. County staff announced a "Know Your Rights" training for county employees beginning with a session the next day at 3 p.m., followed by weekly trainings starting March 12 in Passaic, then Paterson, and continuing for six weeks.
Procedural motions at the meeting included suspending the regular order of business to handle the public hearings, reopening and closing hearings, and separate roll-call votes on consent-agenda items 1–8, 10–26 and 28–46. The board removed Resolution 47 from the consent agenda and replaced Resolution 27 with a revised resolution to be voted on separately; Deputy Director Cruz recused himself from item 27. The board moved the personnel agenda and the bills list and then adjourned.
No petitions, public objections, or substantive public testimony were recorded during the bond hearings. Vote tallies were recorded on the record; for the two bond ordinances the roll-call votes recorded unanimous affirmatives by the commissioners present.
