Bridgewater's 2025 Municipal Budget Delayed, Mayor 'Not Comfortable' With It

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Taxpayers in the Township will have to sit tight and wait to see if taxes will increase in 2025, as the municipal budget will once again be delayed.

"We are close to finalizing a budget. We are trying to move as swiftly as possible but at the same time I am not going to present a budget to the Council that I’m not comfortable with," said Mayor Matthew Moench at the March 6 Council meeting.

Moench noted that the Township only just recently received its State Aid numbers and information from the tax office with regard to assessments to figure what the tax base is.

He added the Township is also "still in the process of finalizing our spending priorities."

Moench hopes to have the budget presented to the public by early April.

"That’s our hope.... That is not a 100 percent commitment. As soon as I have a budget that I am comfortable presenting to the Council and to the public, we will have it," said Moench.

The 2024 budget also saw a delay and wasn't approved until August. Typically, municipalities introduce their budgets with public hearings in February or March and adopt a budget by the end of April, according to the New Jersey League of Municipalities.

One resident questioned the Council on the delay to file an introduced budget by March.

"So we are going to be out of compliance with the state statute?" asked the resident.

"Yes," said Moench.

"Is there a justification for that?" asked the resident.

"Yes, I am not ready with a budget yet," said Moench.

Another resident, Cathy Franco, also criticized the council for "not presenting a budget within a timely manner for the public to be able to provide comment and to be able to assess the cost."

Without a budget introduced, the Council took action to approve three resolutions to provide emergency temporary appropriations.

The resolutions included:

1. A resolution providing emergency temporary appropriations for current fund $7,637,072.98, which brings the 2025 year-to-date temporary appropiations to $30,848,074.96
2. A resolution providing emergency temporary appropriations in current fund $4,054,976.50 for fiscal year 2025 (FY25) local employer billing for the public employees' retirement system(PERS)and the police and fireman's retirement system(PFRS) which brings the 2025 year-to-date temporary appropriations to $22,900,712.48
3. A resolution providing emergency temporary appropriations for sewer fund $2,015,578.26, which brings the 2025 year-to-date temporary appropriations to $5,496,771.72

Council Vice President Filipe Pedroso was the only one to vote against all three resolutions without a budget introduced.

"I think all consistent to my prior years is I am going to vote no because I don’t have a budget and I am not comfortable approving an appropriation amount that if I extrapolate for a full year would exceed $60 million," said Pedroso.

Councilman Timothy Ring noted that Pedroso is assuming that because the Township is pending $30 million over the first six months, they will then spend $30 million over the following six months.

"There are certain bills to be paid over the first six months that are a one-time payment for the year. It's not suggesting that we anticipate matching dollar for dollar. It's not half the budget. It's a budget based upon when bills come in," said Ring.

"Expenditures are not linear month to month. Some are front-loaded toward the beginning of the year," said Councilman Michael Kirsh.

Kirsh elaborated that the temporary appropriations help the Township to be able to pay its bills - for things such as clearing snow, paying public employees - until a budget is in place.

Pedroso reiterated, "I don’t have a budget."

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