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Pitman CFO urges caution as ARPA funds end; council debates budget adjustments
Summary
Borough CFO Michael Bachich told council that the borough's surplus has fallen to about 5% and that American Rescue Plan funds are ending, prompting a multihour review and a series of line-item votes to preserve reserves and meet contractual obligations.
Borough of Pitman Chief Financial Officer Bachich presented the town's 2024 municipal budget and warned that the borough's surplus has declined and American Rescue Plan payments that helped avoid tax increases are ending. "The budget as it currently stands is the best option to move forward safely," Bachich said, noting that the recommended surplus range is 8–12% and that Pitman is currently around 5 percent.
Bachich and Administrator McCafferty explained the budget attempts to balance salary and operating needs while meeting contractual obligations, and stressed that modest line-item cuts would erode the borough's already-low surplus. Councilman Mazzola urged following the CFO's guidance and adopting the introduced budget unless changes were formally proposed and voted on. The council then debated and voted on a suite of line-item adjustments late into the evening, approving several targeted changes while rejecting others tied to fire operations and senior services.
