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Mount Arlington adopts 2025 budget, uses one-year CAP Bank transfer to fund schools after petition review
Summary
The Mount Arlington Borough Council on June 3 adopted the 2025 municipal budget, allocating a one-year CAP Bank transfer to support the local school district while urging residents to organize for a referendum; council also disclosed that a recently filed petition contained 400 signatures, 133 of which were not Mount Arlington residents.
The Borough of Mount Arlington Council adopted the 2025 municipal budget during its June 3 meeting, approving a one-year transfer from the municipal CAP Bank to provide funding for the local school district.
Acting Borough Clerk Ashley Todd said the petition filed at the May 6 meeting contained 400 total signatures, of which 267 were Mount Arlington residents and 133 were not. Todd's verification prompted the mayor to emphasize the need for integrity when collecting signatures to build support for any future referendum. "The letter submitted with the petition stated that the signatures were all from Mount Arlington residents," Mayor Stanzilis said during council discussion, stressing that community backing should be gathered honestly.
Council discussion noted the CAP Bank allocation is a temporary, one-year measure. Councilman Cangiano said the borough kept its budget increases below the 2% cap year after year, which permitted the CAP Bank transfer but left insufficient balance to repeat the move in subsequent years. "The funding from the CAP Bank is only for one year and cannot be renewed," he said, urging residents to help gather support for a referendum that would secure ongoing funding for the district.
Board of Education President Rachel Byrne thanked the mayor and council for including school funding in the amended budget and reiterated the district's need for public support to sustain programming. Jessica Price, a member of the community who helped organize the petition, told the council the petition was intended to support the school district and said she was disheartened that the borough verified signatures rather than treating the petition as a grassroots prompt to action.
Mayor Stanzilis also used the meeting to deliver a statement honoring Pride Month and affirming Mount Arlington as an inclusive community. "We are—and always will be—an inclusive community," he said, adding that the borough will continue to fly the U.S. and New Jersey flags as symbols of freedoms and protections for all residents.
The budget resolution (2025-75) passed on a roll-call vote: Aye ' Councilman BaRoss, Councilman Cangiano, Councilwoman Fostle, Councilman Fuller, Councilwoman Galate and Council President Delaney; Opposed ' None; Abstain ' None. Mayor Stanzilis and Borough Administrator Carolyn Rinaldi said a full copy of the budget is available in the Clerk's office and posted on the borough website.
