Essex County adopts $460.4 million 2025 budget; board approves cap bank and dozens of contracts

The Essex County Board of County Commissioners on April 3 adopted the county’s 2025 budget and approved a series of supplemental financial and contract measures. The board voted to adopt a $460,435,000 appropriation for county purposes after a brief public hearing in which no members of the public spoke on the budget.

Treasurer Hussam Mohammed presented the budget statement to commissioners and explained that the resolution would allow the county to read the budget by title only and then adopt it by roll call. Commissioners then closed the public hearing and approved the budget; the deputy clerk recorded unanimous “yes” votes from the commissioners present (one commissioner was absent). The board also approved Resolution R2025-00302, authorizing the county to exceed the tax levy and establish a cap bank for future use.

The meeting opened with introduction and first reading of three bond ordinances. Ordinance No. 1 authorizes acquisition of a Verona property to create a consolidated county warehouse, with a stated authorization of $5,000,000 and bonds/notes of $4,000,007.60; Treasurer Mohammed said consolidating three rented facilities should generate long-term savings. Ordinance No. 2 appropriates $3,100,000 for improvements at Essex County College’s Newark campus, funded with bonds and state chapter 12 funds; ordinance sponsors described the work as campus improvements. Ordinance No. 3 amends an earlier bond ordinance (25-000002) to add machinery and equipment as an authorized purpose; the treasurer said the amendment is a reappropriation for purpose and will not increase the authorized funding.

In one of the meeting’s largest procurement actions, the board approved multiple contract awards across departments. Notable items included an award to AB Contracting to renovate the existing sea lion exhibit into a lemur exhibit at Turtle Back Zoo (Department of Public Works; low bid; contract not to exceed $3,700,174), a design and construction inspection contract for a maintenance garage renovation at Weequeta Park (not to exceed $275,000), and a set of Parks Department contracts for field lighting, vehicle repairs, snow and ice removal, and playground and zoo improvements. Park officials said several projects will be funded from the county’s Open Space/Recreation Trust Fund; Joshua Zates, who answered technical questions, confirmed the Zoo and playground projects sit within the existing Turtle Back Zoo footprint.

The board also approved labor memoranda of agreement (MOAs) and collective bargaining settlements, which county staff said carry multi-year wage adjustments (examples cited included 2% increases in early years and 3% in later years). Other approved actions included recurring professional services and software maintenance extensions for the Board of Taxation and county clerk’s election reporting system, and contract awards for the Department of Corrections and the county prosecutor’s forensic tools.

What happens next: the budget resolution takes effect per county rules on adoption; department staff will proceed with procurement and contract administration. Commissioners asked administration staff to follow up with more detailed timelines and implementation notes on specific capital projects and contract scopes.

Votes at a glance: R2025-00303 (Adopt 2025 County Budget) — adopted by roll call; appropriates $460,435,000. R2025-00302 (Cap bank/levy) — adopted by roll call. Ordinance No. 1 (Verona property acquisition) — introduced and approved on first reading; Ordinance No. 2 (Essex County College improvements) — introduced and approved on first reading; Ordinance No. 3 (bond ordinance amendment) — introduced and approved on first reading. Major contract approvals (grouped votes) — AB Contracting (lemur exhibit, ~$3.7M) approved; multiple Parks and Public Works contracts and professional services approved.

Speakers quoted: "Ordinance No. 1…is to purchase the property in Verona for the warehouse," County Treasurer Hussam Mohammed said when introducing the bond measure. "The law requires the budget to be read in full and this resolution authorizes us to only read it by title only," Mohammed said in presenting the budget resolution. "We should actually come out ahead," Mohammed said of consolidating rented facilities into a county warehouse.

The board adjourned after commissioner comments and follow-up requests for implementation details on capital projects and vendor timelines.