Moonachie council approves 2026 appointments, temporary budget and administrative policies at Jan. 5 reorganization meeting

Moonachie Mayor Dennis Vaccaro and the borough council on Jan. 5 held the annual reorganization meeting and approved a slate of 2026 appointments, administrative policies, and temporary budget appropriations.

The meeting opened after the oath of office was administered by Congresswoman Nellie Pou. Mayor Vaccaro congratulated re-elected councilmembers and thanked Congresswoman Pou for attending; Pou wished attendees a Happy New Year and said she will work for Moonachie residents and the district.

The council unanimously voted to waive the regular order of business and elected Councilman Robert J. Bauer as council president. By roll call the council confirmed key municipal appointments for 2026, including Frank Migliorino as borough attorney, Kevin Boswell as borough engineer, Paul Lerch of Lerch, Vinci & Bliss as borough auditor and Helene Herbert as special attorney for tax appeals. The council also appointed Joshua H. Reinitz as public defender at a fee of $200 per court case and approved professional and consulting appointments for financial, benefits and bond-issuance services.

Council members approved a set of administrative policies and financial controls. Resolutions adopted the borough’s cash management and investment plan, designated official depositories and authorized official signatories (Mayor Dennis Vaccaro, Borough Clerk Jennifer Cooney and Administrator/CFO Anthony Ciannamea). The council enacted a no-cash policy requiring tax and other borough payments to be made by personal check, bank or certified check, or money order only. It also approved a procurement change, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026, that eliminates the requirement to obtain a purchase order prior to purchases under $2,625 (15% of the borough’s $17,500 bid threshold), with stated exceptions for advances, reimbursements, professional fees and sole proprietors.

On budget matters, the council introduced and approved temporary appropriations for the 2026 Current Fund and the Sewer Utility. The resolution lists departmental salary and operating amounts and shows total Current Fund general appropriations of $4,898,120 and total Sewer Utility appropriations of $522,963. Council also authorized a $17,000 annual contribution to the Moonachie Fire Department and a $1,200 annual contribution to Comprehensive Behavioral Healthcare, Inc., and approved Payment No. 3 of $23,292.22 to New Prince Concrete Construction Company for Teresa Court and West Park street improvements.

The council approved shared services agreements, including a multi-year arrangement with Paramus for an acting court administrator and a two-year agreement with Wood-Ridge for use of its pistol range at an annual fee of $200 per officer. Several fee changes were set by resolution, including $10 for certified vital records copies and $20 for returned bank checks.

Most of the meeting’s resolutions were adopted by unanimous roll call. One out-of-consent appointment—Resolution #26-67 confirming Terri Campbell as a Class IV Planning Board member—carried on a five-aye, one-abstain vote (Councilwoman Terri Campbell recorded the abstention). The council also voted to go into and reconvene from closed session to discuss public-safety tactics; Mayor Vaccaro said the closed-session discussion included an update on an incident at Borough Hall and that dais seating will be rearranged at the next meeting.

The meeting closed at 7:57 p.m.; Borough Clerk Jennifer Cooney attested the minutes.

What’s next: The council set its 2026 regular and executive meeting dates and will consider routine and substantive business at the scheduled sessions listed in the adopted meeting calendar.