Township of Washington council advances 2026 $17.2M budget; health‑plan change cited as major savings

The Township of Washington council held a special meeting March 2 to review the mayor’s proposed 2026 municipal budget, which totals $17,199,415 and represents a $664,479.34 increase over the 2025 appropriations.

Mayor Peter Calamari presented the plan alongside Administrator Mark DeCarlo and said the package would translate to roughly a $291 annual increase for a homeowner with an average assessed value of $797,000 and an additional $21 for the library. "The proposed municipal budget as presented represents an annual increase of $291 on the average property value," Calamari said.

The administration identified interest on a 2025 bond anticipation note, state‑required payments (insurance, pension contributions and library support), and DPW overtime as principal drivers of the increase. DeCarlo said the administration took several offsetting measures — renegotiated shared services and a move to a high‑deductible health plan among them — to limit tax and surplus impacts. "Switching to a high deductible health plan, saving the township an anticipated $322,243," DeCarlo said, summarizing the health‑plan change the council debated at length.

Councilors reviewed the budget page‑by‑page and voted on a number of line‑item adjustments. Notable actions included: - Approval of the grant‑consultant pay line at the recommended $2,850 per month after debate and a failed motion to reduce it to $2,800. - Roll‑call approval of several council operating reductions (10% cuts to some subscriptions and plaques/trophies lines). - A motion setting payroll‑service funding at $16,000 after administration explained higher financial services fees tied to bond‑disclosure work. - A reduction of the appraisal‑services line from the proposed amount to $7,000 to reflect recent spending and likely demand related to the town’s reassessment.

The mayor and administrator highlighted capital items in the package: a $1.4 million road program (partially offset by a $237,000 New Jersey DOT grant), $180,000 for two frontline police vehicles, $118,000 for three additional police vehicles to be used on outside‑billing work, and $120,000 for Americans with Disabilities Act improvements to parks (including an $80,000 Bergen County Open Space Park Improvement Fund match).

Councilors asked for further documentation on several items. Members requested invoices and usage records for the website/designer line after one councilor moved — and the council approved — a $500 reduction pending further review. A proposed annual $5,000 permitting‑software (UCC AI) subscription was discussed but tabled so councilors could review supporting documents in detail before voting.

Health benefits proved the lengthiest single discussion. Administration outlined the mechanics of a high‑deductible plan coupled with a third‑party “difference card” that would fund members’ out‑of‑pocket costs and asserted the combination reduced the township’s net budget exposure compared with projected renewal rates. Several councilors pressed staff for an updated side‑by‑side comparison of the prior conventional cost versus the revised fixed cost under the new plan, and asked for the most recent enrollment mix to re‑run the analysis before finalizing the related lines.

The council directed staff to gather capital‑item questions from members, schedule department heads to appear at upcoming meetings where necessary, and to return with clarified health‑plan reconciliations. The special meeting adjourned after the line‑by‑line work concluded; the budget process will continue with any remaining approvals at future meetings.

The administration and council provided supporting documents to council members for further review; no final budget adoption was recorded in this special session.