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Council warns of $3 million health-care spike, outlines IT and fire-department changes
Summary
Councilor Eric Damato told residents the township faces a roughly $3,000,000 one-time increase in health-care costs and described a five-year plan to address about $2,000,000 in deferred IT maintenance; he also outlined fire-department staffing adjustments including keeping headcount near 70 and 'browning out' one truck.
Montclair officials told residents the township faces multiple budget pressures, including a sizable, one-time increase in employee health-care costs, deferred technology upgrades and debated adjustments to fire staffing.
"It's a $3,000,000 jump," Councilor Eric Damato said of a one-time health-benefit increase that will complicate efforts to stay within the 2% tax-levy cap. He listed other escalating inputs — wages, electricity and construction materials — that, taken together, increase pressure on the operating budget.
Damato said an outside IT firm retained after a prior cybersecurity breach found roughly $2,000,000 of deferred maintenance. He described a planned five-year rollout to replace equipment and said the town would use the firm as an outsourced IT director during the transition.
On emergency services, Damato said the council and manager are rethinking staffing and apparatus deployment to match resources with need; the headcount would be kept near 70 and one truck would be taken off regular service ("browned out") while the town negotiates contracts and explores automatic-aid agreements with nearby municipalities.
Firefighters and residents pushed back in public comment, citing a report that recommended more staffing and warning closing or reducing apparatus could slow emergency response times. Mike, who said he has worked in the fire department for two decades, urged caution and greater staffing, and other speakers cited comparisons with peer towns.
The council did not take formal votes on budget measures at the meeting. Damato and other council members said they would continue budget work with the manager and outside consultants; some items (IT upgrades and staffing decisions) will proceed through multi-year plans or through collective-bargaining and operational processes.
