Mountain Lakes council reviews 2026 water, sewer and capital budgets; recreation director proposes Dec. 7 tree lighting

The Borough of Mountain Lakes council met Jan. 21 to review proposed 2026 water, sewer and capital budgets and to hear budget proposals from the library and recreation departments.

Borough Manager Mitchell Stern and the borough’s chief financial officer, Jen Semler, presented the proposed water, sewer and capital budgets and answered council questions. The meeting minutes do not list total budget amounts or specific line-item changes; budget totals were not specified in the minutes.

Mountain Lakes Library representatives Jennifer Lynch (director), Mark Hoffmann (treasurer) and trustee Gordon Stuss attended and responded to council questions about the library’s 2026 proposal; the minutes do not include detailed figures for the library request.

Recreation Director Laurie Stepper told the council the annual Tree Lighting this year conflicts with the first night of Hanukkah and proposed holding the event on Saturday, Dec. 7. She also said the borough would propose an increase in beach tag fees for 2026 and that new rack/ring applications would open on April 7 rather than April 1 because of a scheduling conflict. The council directed Ms. Stepper to discuss the tree-lighting date with the Recreation Commission before making a final decision.

Mayor Muilenburg opened the meeting for public comment; no members of the public spoke. The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m. after a motion by Councilmember Howley, seconded by Councilmember Cannon, and a unanimous vote recorded as “Aye.”

The council’s minutes record the topics reviewed and the procedural direction to Recreation staff; any final decisions on the tree lighting date, beach tag fees or budget adoption will appear in a future meeting record when formal actions or ordinances are proposed.