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Fair Haven holds public hearing on a flat municipal budget and reports a 0.311 tax rate
Summary
At a public hearing the council presented the 2026 municipal budget with no municipal tax increase (tax rate 0.311), use of $1.6M in fund balance, lean cap bank, and pay‑as‑you‑go capital of about $215,000; council approved related consent resolutions as part of the meeting's consent agenda.
The Fair Haven finance committee and Chief Financial Officer Nancy Britton presented the borough’s 2026 municipal budget during a public hearing Tuesday, reporting a municipal tax rate unchanged at 0.311 and a total municipal appropriation just under $13 million.
CFO Britton said the budget uses about $1.6 million in fund balance and keeps the municipal portion of the tax levy flat, while local revenues and certain grants have declined compared with prior years. The pay‑as‑you‑go capital allocation is roughly $215,000; debt service this year is just under $1.5 million as the borough manages bond and permanent financing costs.
Council members described the budget as lean and praised department heads for keeping costs under control. The presentation noted an available appropriation cap bank and warned that capital choices are constrained: one council member said reallocating capital to cover the playground shortfall would force the borough to delay purchases such as a Stryker cot for EMS.
After presentation and public input, the council approved the consent agenda containing two budget‑related resolutions (2026‑102 and 2026‑110) and accepted department reports; roll calls recorded affirmative votes on the consent package.
Next steps: the council closed the hearing and took the consent agenda votes recorded in the meeting minutes.
