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Wanaque adopts 2026 municipal budget with under $78 average annual municipal tax increase
Summary
The Borough of Wanaque adopted a $15,566,361.89 municipal budget on June 15, 2026; officials said the average home will see an increase under $78 a year and attributed much of the pressure to sharp health‑insurance cost growth while noting grant funding covered many capital projects.
Mayor Daniel Mahler and the Wanaque Borough Council adopted the 2026 municipal budget on Monday night, setting municipal appropriations at $15,566,361.89.
Tiffany Rogers, the borough’s new chief financial officer, told the municipal public hearing the budget was prepared over several months and “is $15,566,361.89. When you calculate the impact on an average house value of $229,473.00, the increase is under $78.00 for the year, less than $20.00 a quarter.” Robert Hermansen, the borough administrator, and Rogers said administrators restructured health coverage and identified cost savings to limit the increase.
The finance presentation framed the budget outcome as the result of unusually large insurance and pension cost pressures. Hermansen said the borough’s local health‑insurance increase for employees and retirees totaled $2,302,500 and that a change from NJ Direct 15 to NJ Direct HD Low saved taxpayers an estimated $500,000 compared with staying on the prior plan. He also identified workers’ compensation and pension increases — which he said together added roughly $313,000 to costs — as drivers of the budgetary pressure.
Residents asked clarifying questions during the public hearing. Jay Cohen asked whether $78 represented the total tax increase; finance staff and administrators said the figure applied to the municipal portion only and that county and school board tax changes could alter household bills. Cohen also pressed the council on cuts shown in the budget document: Donna Mollineaux, of the finance department, explained capital spending in the annual budget had been limited because planned projects already had other funding and that borrowing was being used only for capital expenditures.
Councilman Dominick Cortellessa moved to adopt the budget and Councilman Edward Leonard seconded. The roll call vote was unanimous in favor: Thomas Balunis, Dominick Cortellessa, Robert C. Kronyak, Edward Leonard, Donald Pasquariello and Robert Pettet voted yes. The council also approved a related budget amendment earlier in the evening.
Mayor Mahler and administrators emphasized the role of grants in covering recent road and park work and listed recent and awarded grants, including Passaic County Open Space and Community Development Block Grants. The council introduced, separately, a bond ordinance to fund capital improvements and authorized competitive bidding and contract awards tied to those projects.
The council closed the budget hearing after public comment and moved on to other agenda items. The borough clerk will file the adopted budget documents in accordance with local and state requirements.
