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Hawthorne council adopts amended 2026 municipal budget, approves related ordinances
Summary
The Hawthorne Borough Council approved an amended 2026 municipal budget after a required triannual adjustment and adopted several budget-related ordinances, including changes to pool fees and first readings of multiple bond ordinances scheduled for final votes on June 3.
The Hawthorne Borough Council adopted an amended 2026 municipal budget Tuesday after the mayor and finance staff presented a minor state-requested adjustment and the council conducted a roll-call vote.
The council moved to authorize reading the amendment by title and then voted to adopt BR O 3-26, which formalizes changes the administration said were technical and did not change the budget total. The chair read line-item revisions that included adjusted interest-on-investment figures, rental projections and recalculated totals for local revenues and general appropriations. The council carried the motion on roll call.
Why it matters: adopting the amended budget completes a periodic state review process and allows the borough to proceed with planned appropriations for municipal services and capital needs. Mayor Lane thanked Laurie Foley and borough staff for their work preparing the documents.
The meeting also closed public hearings and adopted budget-related ordinances. Council passed Ordinance 23-87-26 (establishing appropriations and a cap bank under New Jersey statute) and Ordinance 23-88-26, which revises parks and recreation fees, including daily pool rates and multi-ticket discount packs. Mayor Lane noted the pool opens on Memorial Day weekend and said online registration has begun.
The council gave first reading to three bond ordinances for infrastructure projects — Ordinance 23-89-26 (road reconstruction, $1.8 million appropriation), Ordinance 23-90-26 (sidewalks and driveway aprons, $428,000 appropriation and special assessments) and Ordinance 23-91-26 (additional road reconstruction, $928,000 appropriation). Each ordinance was scheduled for final consideration at the governing body's June 3 meeting at 7 p.m.
Council members also approved several consent-agenda purchase orders for public works equipment and awarded a contract for the 2026 pool food concession. The administration said the selected concession vendor offered comparable menus at slightly lower pricing and was locally based.
What’s next: The ordinances receiving first reading are set for final votes on June 3; residents affected by the sidewalk special-assessment ordinance will receive notices and estimates before assessments are billed, and the borough said payment plans of multiple years are available.
