Tinton Falls council introduces 2026 budget, eyes $3M open-space buy and $9.75M capital plan

The Tinton Falls Borough Council on April 21 received a walkthrough of the borough's proposed 2026 budget and capital program and voted to introduce the budget, setting a public hearing for May 19. Tom Fallon, the borough's interim business administrator and chief financial officer, told the council the plan "provides the necessary funding for all municipal services and for continued and increased capital investment" while using surplus to limit the tax impact.

Fallon said the municipal tax rate would fall slightly under the budget presented, from 32.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to 31.8 cents (a 1.85% decrease), in part because the borough plans to use about $5.8 million of its surplus as a tax-stabilization measure. He noted state aid remains flat at $1.508 million and that the budget assumes an operating expenses increase of about 5.44%, driven largely by a 21.7% increase in health insurance costs.

The budget totals show a modest overall revenue increase of roughly 4.7%, Fallon said, and he stressed the borough's conservative revenue projections and sustained reserve position. "The borough's surplus remains historically strong at $10.5 million," he said, noting the budget uses approximately 55% of the available surplus this year to help offset rising benefit costs.

The capital program, outlined by borough engineer Tom Nef, totals $9,749,000, with $8,971,000 for general improvements and $778,000 for sewer utility work. Major components include a multi-year road program (recently awarded to PNA Construction), drainage and culvert replacements, sidewalk and pedestrian-safety work (including rapid flashing beacons at school crosswalks), sewer pump-station upgrades and a library parking-area rebuild. Nef said the borough has secured about $4.35 million in grants over the past two-plus years that offset local costs, including a $2.25 million county grant earmarked to help acquire the Carney Farm.

On the Carney Farm matter, council members said the borough is in due diligence for a roughly $3 million acquisition of about 13 acres intended to remain open space. Fallon said the purchase will be funded with $750,000 from the open-space trust fund and $2.25 million in county grants; environmental and title work were described as pending steps in the acquisition process.

After the presentations the council voted 5'0'00 to introduce the 2026 municipal budget (Resolution R26-079), which begins the 28-day public-notice period ahead of the May 19 public hearing. The consent agenda was approved later in the meeting and no substantive changes to the presented budget were recorded at introduction.

What happens next: the introduced budget will be posted in full and in summary on the borough website; the council holds a public hearing on May 19, after which it may adopt the final budget.