Still Without CFO, Officials Wade Into Budget

The Borough is still looking for a permanent chief financial officer, despite being waist-deep in the budget process.

There were interested candidates, but none of them opted to take the Paramus job, Councilman Joseph Lagana said.

The search started again in March. The deadline to apply for the position was Friday, and Lagana, who is chairman of the council budget committee, said Monday there were a handful of candidates under consideration.

Despite the setback, the budget process is going well, Lagana said. He credited Tom Kane, who became temporary CFO in October, along with Borough Administrator Joseph D'Arco and Treasurer Evey Johnson with streamlining the process for the budget committee.

If there is a tax increase, it will be minimal, Lagana said, even with a $3 million pension deferral coming due this year.

"We're in a far better position than most towns," he said.

Kane is after the Borough's last full-time CFO, Joseph Citro, retired in September. He works for Jersey Professional Management, a Cranford company that hires out temporary managers to work in municipalities across the state.

Kane brings more than three decades of experience as a CFO to Paramus. However, because of his temporary status, he is limited in the number of hours he can put in at the Borough.

The budget is a temporary issue, Councilman Eric Nazziola said. Without a permanent CFO, the Borough is hard-pressed to tackle the long-term financial issues it faces.

"It's really the long-term planning that requires someone to be full-time," he said.

The Borough's upcoming needs include new fire and garbage trucks and a new ambulance, Lagana said. 

The Council last year that provided for a zero percent tax increase. However, it also eliminated five full-time and two part-time employees.

"I think the residents are going to be pleased with what we've been able to put together and I think that over the next few years, visibly, there's going to be positive changes in this town," Lagana said.