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Saddle River finance officer outlines 2026 budget with modest tax increase
Summary
Saddle River officials previewed the 2026 budget that preserves fund balance, reduces long‑term debt and proposes a 3.61% tax increase (about $227 per resident annually); healthcare costs and rising sanitation tipping fees were cited as primary drivers.
Mayor Albert J. Kerpus and the borough finance officer presented key elements of Saddle River’s proposed 2026 budget during the March 2 council meeting and set a public timeline to introduce the budget on March 16 and adopt it on April 20.
The finance officer, identified in the meeting as Sue, told the council the budget aims to maintain fund balance while reducing long‑term debt and contains a tax levy increase of 3.61 percent, which the mayor characterized as an average of about $227 annually per resident. The town plans to continue capital stabilization and to use grant funding—she said a $352,000 grant has been received for a 125 Road project—to reduce the need for borrowing.
Major drivers: Sue said rising healthcare costs remain the largest pressure on operating budgets, estimating the borough’s health expenditures increased roughly 15–17 percent this year. She also noted variability in landfill tipping fees tied to sanitation contracts and said the borough will go out to bid on sanitation services this year, which could materially affect future budgets.
Fiscal management: The finance officer said the borough is below appropriation and tax levy caps and is preserving fund balance while increasing its capital improvement fund so smaller projects can be financed without debt. The council noted a $100,000 donation that offsets a one‑time $10,000 increase for the New Jersey 250 celebration.
Next steps: The borough will formally introduce the 2026 budget on March 16, with public hearings and an anticipated adoption vote on April 20. Council members asked follow‑up questions about specific line items such as fire hydrant service charges (115 hydrants were cited) and the mechanics of landfill tipping fees.
