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Hawthorne council introduces water-rate ordinance after audit finds borough fiscally sound
Summary
The Borough of Hawthorne introduced ordinance 23-75-25 to revise water fees after officials cited new PFAS treatment costs and ongoing service-line replacement; the council also certified a clean 2024 audit. A final hearing on the ordinance is set for Nov. 17, 2025.
The Hawthorne Borough Council voted on first reading to introduce ordinance 23-75-25, which would amend water fees and schedule a public hearing on Nov. 17, 2025, after council members and staff discussed the rising costs tied to mandated infrastructure projects.
Mayor Lane and Administrator Eric Mower framed the ordinance against the backdrop of a recently presented 2024 audit. William Swisher of Suplee, Suplee, Cooney and Company told the council it had received an unmodified (clean) opinion on its 2024 financial statements while flagging one compliance comment: opioid-grant expenditures had been spent without a formal appropriation resolution. "You guys will be voting to accept the audit, the 2024 audit," Swisher said, and added that the clean opinion means the financial statements are "materially not misstated."
Why it matters: council and administration said the main drivers of the proposed water-rate change are (1) a mandated PFAS filtration capital project (presented at about $5.5 million), (2) ongoing PFAS treatment-media replacement estimated at roughly $500,000 per year, and (3) a multi-phase galvanized service-line replacement program with multi‑million-dollar projected needs. Administrator Eric Mower said the borough has spent about $3.1 million to date on service-line replacement and negotiated principal forgiveness and favorable NJ Infrastructure Bank terms that reduced the projected 2026 increase from 9% to about 5%. "We will have an estimated, average of 500,000 a year going forward, for replacement and disposal of our PFAS treatment media," Mower said.
Council and staff repeatedly described the borough as fiscally strong. Mower praised prior fiscal decisions and cited new revenue and cost developments — a $1 million principal-forgiveness announcement, expected funds from PFAS-related settlements, and a 10-year water-sale agreement that provided additional revenue — as reasons the originally larger rate increase was no longer necessary.
What council did: the ordinance was passed on first reading and the clerk was directed to publish notice of the Nov. 17 public hearing at 445 Lafayette Avenue. The ordinance will be considered for final passage at that meeting. Several related resolutions were placed on the consent agenda, including certification of the 2024 audit.
Next step: A public hearing and final vote on ordinance 23-75-25 will be held Nov. 17, 2025, at the municipal building; residents will be able to comment at that time.
