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Saddle River council pulls PILOT resolution after residents urge majority of payments go to Wandell School
Summary
After public commenters urged that most PILOT revenue from a proposed 42-unit age-restricted affordable housing project be allocated to Wandell School, the Borough Council removed the PILOT resolution (145-26) from tonight's agenda for further consideration.
A public outcry over how payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) revenue would be distributed prompted the Saddle River Borough Council on Tuesday to pull a PILOT-related resolution for further review.
A resident who identified herself during the public-comment period urged the council to direct the majority of PILOT revenue from the proposed 42-unit age-restricted affordable housing rental development to Wandell School. "I respectfully ask that you allocate the majority of the pilot revenue to the school district," the resident said, arguing the district operates under a strict 2% tax levy cap and has fewer mechanisms to raise revenue than the borough.
Council members agreed to remove resolution 145-26, the non-consent PILOT resolution for block 1605, lot 22, from tonight's agenda so the matter can be reconsidered at a later meeting. A council member announced the item had been pulled following the public comments; no final action or vote on the PILOT was taken.
Other residents at the meeting amplified concerns about school funding and municipal budgeting. One commenter cited the borough audit's collection-rate figures and questioned whether the borough's reserve for uncollected taxes (RUT) and budget assumptions matched actual collections. "The audit shows a collection rate of 98.6% while the 2026 budget assumes 92.1%," the speaker said, noting that difference represents roughly $2.8 million. The resident also asked for more transparency about legal fees authorized for the borough's ongoing litigation with Veolia, referencing figures discussed earlier in the meeting.
Council members did not debate the substance of the PILOT terms on the record; instead, they removed the item to allow time for additional review. The council's action leaves the PILOT proposal unresolved and signals more deliberation and likely follow-up at a future meeting.
The borough clerk and staff confirmed that the pulled resolution will return to the agenda at a later date; no timetable was provided during the meeting.
