Boonton mayor outlines 2026 priorities: water plant overhaul, lead-line replacements and $3 million pedestrian project

Mayor Lynch reviewed 2025 accomplishments and laid out a slate of infrastructure and service priorities for 2026 at Boonton’s Jan. 1 meeting.

Lynch said the 2025 budget was delivered with under a 2% increase despite health-insurance costs rising more than 20%. He highlighted completed capital work including town-hall and DPW-yard repaving and cited grant funding as covering much of the projects. Lynch announced plans for a multimillion-dollar overhaul of the town’s well-field water plant, a water meter replacement program and a lead water service-line replacement program. He also said the administration will analyze Riverview and Chestnut Street complexes to seek credit for 76 existing affordable housing units as part of the town’s affordable-housing application.

On pedestrian safety, Lynch said the town needs to finalize the design of a $3,000,000 pedestrian-safety grant project for Main Street that was awarded in 2018 and is expected to go out to bid this year. He also described efforts to improve rental-property oversight through annual licensing and inspections and noted work to hire a consultant on the Dallas Theater rehabilitation project.

Lynch framed these priorities as part of a broader effort to maintain and upgrade town facilities while containing costs; he said the town will improve tracking of resident concerns to ensure timely responses.

The mayor also announced creation of a mayor’s advisory council of nonvoting community members who will support committee work and named several initial advisory members. No ordinances or binding budget changes were adopted at the meeting; these remain subject to future council consideration and formal votes.