14 Laid Off, 10 Positions Eliminated In $43M Bridgewater Budget

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater Township is feeling the impact of the coronavirus with a $2.1 million loss in revenue. To cover this shortage, the mayor and council had to lay off 14 employees and eliminate 10 positions to keep taxes down.

"This is probably the hardest budget we've seen, certainly in my 13 years on the council and as mayor now," Bridgewater Mayor Matthew Moench said during the meeting. "Not a day goes by in the past four months that we have not been struggling with this… There are no easy solutions but we think this represents the best interest of the town."

The mayor and council unanimously introduced a $43.2 million budget on Monday during a virtual meeting which calls for a 1.94 percent or $3 increase for the $448,931 average assessed homeowner in Bridgewater.

The proposed budget is 4 percent less than last year's $45 million budget, Moench said.

A significant reduction in the township's workforce included layoffs of 14 employees from the Department of Public Works, Construction and Municipal Court, the elimination of 10 positions and unpaid furlough days for many of the employees.

The eliminated positions are from the following departments: Clerks Office, Code Enforcement, Engineering, Fire, Planning, DPW, and Recreation.

"All of these actions will have an impact on our government, and it is never easy to lose members of our Bridgewater family, but just like many of our residents, we need to do more with less in this extraordinary time. The cuts made this year will total over $1.5 million," Moench stated in a letter to residents.

Moench confirmed Bridgewater has not received any aid or financial help from the state since the coronavirus hit.

"We are looking at an anticipated $2.1 million in loss revenue. This is revenue directly related to COVID," Moench said.

The loss in revenue can be attributed to drastic revenue reductions including hotel taxes, Bridgewater Commons Mall fees, and drops inpermits fees, interest revenue, and other miscellaneous sources of revenue.

Moench has been very vocal throughout the pandemic, speaking out to Gov. Phil Murphy about reopening businesses and the malls amid the coronavirus.

• Read More: 'We Demand Action': NJ Mayors Call For Reopening Indoor Malls
• More: Reopen All Nonesssential Businesses Now: 19 NJ Mayors Tell Murphy

The full budget will be available to residents on Friday and a public hearing before the budget is finalized will be held on July 20 at 7 p.m.

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