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Council previews 2026 capital plan, flags $2 million target and requests for roads, DPW equipment and police tech
Summary
Council finance committee recommended limiting 2026 capital spending to about $2 million; highlights included Hudson Avenue paving with NJDOT offsets, DPW equipment replacements (loader, plow truck), police Axon body-camera funding ($414,000 bonded), and sewer station improvements under consideration for I‑Bank financing.
Council members reviewed a preliminary 2026 capital budget that the finance committee recommended holding near $2 million to balance infrastructure needs and long‑term fiscal health.
Mr. Martinella, reporting for the financial administrative committee, said the recommendation reflects a tighter capital program than several years ago and noted staff had submitted preliminary numbers to the borough auditor for cap‑ and tax‑percentage calculations. The committee emphasized priorities for roads, DPW heavy equipment, public‑safety technology, and targeted facility upgrades.
Major items discussed included Phase 2 of the Hudson Avenue paving project (construction cost estimates and engineering fees with NJDOT grant offsets), a list of locally prioritized road resurfacing segments with multi‑year offsets to reduce current‑year outlays, and IT switch upgrades to complete a multi‑year program. DPW equipment requests included a replacement Caterpillar wheel loader (approx. $345,000 plus $40,000 plow attachment) and a replacement truck with body/plow/salter (approx. $311,500); staff said older machines would be auctioned.
Public‑safety requests included a five‑year Axon package (body cameras, tasers and cloud services) that requires full bonding this year with a total of $414,000, and a standby generator for the police department estimated at $130,000 (with potential $25,000 savings on parts).
Council also discussed sewer‑station improvements with hard costs estimated near or above $500,000. Staff recommended pursuing I‑Bank loan options to avoid placing those projects on the general capital ledger and to explore remediation or forgiveness possibilities.
Why it matters: the capital plan sets near‑term investments for roads, emergency services, public works and IT security. Council members indicated they will prioritize essential replacements and defer some larger purchases or committee‑review items — such as a rescue engine and additional fire vehicles — to lower the 2026 bonding requirement.
Next steps: staff will provide final cap-and-tax numbers from the auditor, continue committee review of deferred items, and present the operating and water budgets at the council meeting scheduled for March 10.
