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Helmetta council adopts ordinance to bank 2026 tax-cap allowance
Summary
The Borough of Helmetta adopted Ordinance 2026-01 to authorize a 3.5% cap increase and create a cap bank worth $44,802.31 for use in a subsequent budget year; the vote was unanimous.
The Borough of Helmetta Mayor and Council adopted Ordinance 2026-01 on Jan. 21, 2026, authorizing the municipality to exceed the statutory municipal budget cap and to create a cap bank. The ordinance allows the borough to increase final appropriations up to 3.5 percent for calendar year 2026 and preserves any unused portion as an exception to final appropriation for the next two years.
The ordinance text states the 3.5 percent increase amounts to $44,802.31. The council closed the public hearing after no members of the public spoke and adopted the ordinance by roll call, 5-0. The motion to close the hearing and the eventual adoption were recorded in the minutes; adoption motions were recorded as moved by Councilman Dzingleski and seconded by Councilman Reid.
The measure gives the borough additional budget flexibility during preparation of the 2026 spending plan; it does not by itself set actual tax rates. Officials said the change is intended to give staff room to prepare the final budget. The ordinance packet included the ordinance language and the mayor and clerk signatures necessary for implementation.
What happens next: The cap-bank authorization must be reflected in the final 2026 budget documents. The council will consider the detailed budget at subsequent public meetings before any tax levy is set.
