Hillsborough Advances 2026 Budget Amendment With Mixed Support

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough Township Committee approved an amended 2026 budget with mixed opinions among members.

The amendment changed several revenue and spending lines in the budget first approved April 28.

Among the changes read aloud were an increase in the contribution to Somerville Business Park from $600,000 to $640,000 and an increase in total miscellaneous revenues from $9,870,286 to $9,910,286.

The amount to be raised by taxes for support of the municipal budget changed from $30,792,776.73 to $30,755,397.33.

Total general appropriations changed from $43,063,062.77 to $43,065,948.77.

During public comment, resident Judy Haas of Titus Court sharply criticized the budget and tax levy.

"Your current budget is irresponsible and unsustainable," she said.

She also said, "You propose a $43 million budget with a $30.8 million tax levy."

Later in her remarks, she said, "It's irresponsible and unsustainable."

Committeewoman Jill Gomez, who served on the finance committee, said that her "support of the budget should not be viewed as an endorsement of every aspect of it; rather, it's an acknowledgement that we still have a lot of work to do."

"This was my first time on the finance committee and working on the budget cycle, and I put party lines aside to look toward those who have worked on the budget previously for guidance. And unfortunately it's disheartening to know that we really are in a bad financial situation," said Gomez.

She noted the finance committee would continue working throughout this year "to see how else we can get in a better situation before we get to next year."

Committeewoman Samantha Hand said she could not support the budget.

"I cannot support this budget, and I will vote against its adoption tonight," Hand said.

She said she was acting "with tremendous respect for the work done by the CFO, some of my colleagues, but also with a keen sense of concern about the decisions that lie ahead."

Hand also said, "While I will vote no tonight, I am committed to working collaboratively at every turn to find savings and to position the township in a better financial footing for the challenging years that lie ahead."

When asked what improvements she wanted, Hand said, "I would love department heads to go line by line through their budgets. I think we can curb professional services. I think our headcount has exploded. We should be using more technology."

Committee member Robert Britting Jr. said he was proud of "a number of things in this budget this year, and the standing in the back of the room, number one, police department, and also our DPW."

He noted that public safety and public works make up a little more than 30 percent of the budget.

"Really important that we support that component of our town. A safe town is the most important thing you can put everything into," said Britting.

He also noted that there is a large part of the budget that is fixed and asked CFO Christiaan Bushell to confirm.

Bushell said pension costs, health care costs and contractual salary increases were among the fixed costs, adding up "to $867,000 this year."

"That's why we're having trouble with our caps," said Bushell.

In the amended budget resolution, there is a line for "Contribution to Senior Citizens Organizations" that changes from $0.00 to $1.00.

Bushell said the $1 amount serves as a placeholder for the senior clubs.

The clubs were previously allocated $31,000 total to the two groups. The change fueled pushback from community members.

"I hope that at the end of this year, with this work, we are able to rebuild our surplus, prepare for the future, and look for funding for line items like our senior chapters A and B," said Gomez.

Britting added that he is also "very frustrated about the senior chapter situation. I think there could have been maybe some other ways to do that, but knowing that there is money in their accounts right now does make me feel okay that we can move forward, and that those line items are really important, and I promise you, we'll focus on that. But I am happy to support the township services that we have."

The committee adopted the 2026 budget as amended by another 4-to-1 vote, with Hand voting no.

Previous Reporting:

• Hillsborough's $43M Budget Proposes Tax Increase For Residents For 2026
• Senior Club Cuts Draw Pushback, Hillsborough Delays 2026 Budget Vote

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