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Matawan council adopts 2025 budget, funds parks, roads and lakefront projects with $1.57 million in grants
Summary
The Matawan Borough Council unanimously adopted the municipal 2025 budget after a presentation by the administrator and CFO; the plan relies on about $1.57 million in grants for lakefront preservation, park upgrades and roadwork and is projected to produce municipal savings and limited tax impacts for residents.
The Matawan Borough Council on April 15 adopted the borough's 2025 municipal budget, approving a package of capital projects and operational changes the administrator said are supported in part by roughly $1.57 million in external grant awards.
Borough Administrator Ryan, joined by CFO Nicole Schneberger and auditor Joan Swisser, walked the council through highlights including lakefront preservation and lake-access improvements, a new dock, Clinton Street Park phases two and three (including resurfacing to create a combined basketball/pickleball court, LED lighting, bleachers and ADA-accessible walkways) and a list of road resurfacing and design projects funded or in design.
The budget presentation emphasized cost containment on health insurance: the administration said pursuing alternatives to the State Health Benefits Plan avoided a projected 16.3% premium increase and yielded more than $300,000 in combined savings for the borough and employees. "This year's budget represents a savings both to the borough residents and the taxpayers as well as our employees," Ryan said.
CFO Nicole Schneberger summarized revenue and expenditure assumptions, saying the borough is using the same level of surplus carried in prior years, expects a roughly $500,000 net increase in revenue and is projecting modest changes to state aid and grant revenues throughout the year. Schneberger provided examples showing the municipal portion of the property tax for a typical assessed value of about $550,000 and a breakdown of municipal spending categories: public safety (27%), debt service (14%), insurance (approximately 12%), public works (13%) and a reserve for uncollected taxes (4.5%).
Council moved to close the public hearing and then adopted Resolution 25-04-8 to approve the 2025 budget by roll call (Councilpersons Dina Gun, Steven Russell, Suzanne Reynolds and Charles Ross recorded votes of "yes"). The council had earlier approved a procedural resolution to read the budget by title only and opened the public hearing before the adoption vote.
Why it matters: the budget funds near-term capital work on parks, lakefront access and local roads, allocates money for a new gym HVAC system to expand year-round programming and claims a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar savings tied to health-benefit changes. Several projects are tied to grant awards and require procurement and construction steps this season.
The council concluded by noting the presentation will be posted to the borough website and that specific project timelines (Clinton Street Park bids, road construction schedules and the 150 Main Street demolition bid opening) will be managed by the borough engineer. The budget adoption was recorded as final action at the April 15 meeting; additional grant-specific resolutions may follow as awards are finalized.
