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Old Tappan council fills 2025 committee roles, introduces ordinances and previews budget season
Summary
At the Jan. 6 meeting Mayor Gallagher announced staff and committee appointments for 2025, the council elected Bill Boyce as council president, introduced two ordinances (DPW salary schedule and golf‑course fee changes) for first reading and previewed a tight budget process starting this month.
The Borough of Old Tappan on Jan. 6 announced its 2025 staff appointments, standing committee assignments and introduced two ordinances for first reading as the council prepared to begin formal budget hearings.
Mayor Thomas Gallagher read a comprehensive slate of staff appointments (911 coordinator, clerks, DPW foremen, departmental liaisons and numerous board/committee placements) and announced standing council committee leads for the year. The council nominated and elected Councilman Bill Boyce as council president for 2025 by roll call.
Two ordinances were introduced on first reading and scheduled for final consideration at the Jan. 21, 2025 meeting: Ordinance 1269‑25 would fix DPW salaries and compensation (first reading only on Jan. 6), and Ordinance 1270‑25 would amend fees charged for use of the Old Tappan Golf Course. Council members said the golf fee increase averages roughly 4.5% across categories and was described by a committee contact as reasonable. Both ordinances were introduced and published for public hearing on Jan. 21.
Council members also previewed the upcoming municipal budget season, saying they will meet line‑by‑line during special Thursday sessions over the next several weeks. Topics called out included mandated affordable‑housing obligations from Trenton, open‑space preservation priorities, and budget pressures for volunteer fire and ambulance operations (including potential daytime coverage options). The council discussed an RFP for a county‑ordered townwide reassessment with projected implementation in 2026 and the value of public outreach to explain potential tax changes.
What happens next: Appointments take effect as announced; committee rosters will be updated in municipal records. Ordinances 1269‑25 and 1270‑25 await final passage at the Jan. 21 meeting; the council begins budget hearings immediately and asked staff and the auditor for detailed cost projections.
Votes and record: The council approved the nomination of Bill Boyce as council president by roll call. The Jan. 6 transcript shows roll‑call approvals for appointments and the consent resolution; official, name‑indexed minutes provide the formal vote record.
