Council approves urgent 2026 appropriation after closed session; vote splits 4–1

After a closed session on personnel and settlements, the Township Council returned to open session and reintroduced Resolution No. 26‑209, authorizing an urgent appropriation prior to adoption of the 2026 current budget.

Motion and debate: A council member moved the resolution and another seconded. One council member said previous administrations spent in ways that required the council to refuse a prior version of this appropriation, citing the council charter’s January 15 budget deadline and the need for explanation when a member votes "no." Another council member noted state authorities can adjust statutory dates and cautioned against attributing neglect to the current administration.

Vote: The Clerk conducted a roll-call vote after discussion. The record shows Kelvin Gassio voted No; Councilman Sears, Councilman Owen and Councilwoman Velez voted Yes; the Council President voted Yes. The motion passed (Yes 4; No 1). Speaker attributions and recorded names were read into the record by the municipal clerk.

Why it matters: Council members said the appropriation is intended to allow the township to pay bills and make payroll until the full 2026 budget is introduced. Several members requested clearer timing and additional transparency about whether grant receipts (notably a reported $600,000 grant mentioned earlier) would be applied directly to project debt rather than returned to fund balance.

Next steps: Council moved to proceed to the budget line‑by‑line review upon passage. The council also recorded that one member joined late during closed session (Ms. Velez).