Berkeley Heights Must Reintroduce Operating Budget After State Review Requires Amendments

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. — The Berkeley Heights Township Council held a public hearing on its 2026 municipal budget Tuesday night, only to learn that the state's thorough review of the spending plan required several amendments — sending the operating budget back for reintroduction before final adoption can take place.The Department of Local Government Services conducted what council members described as an unusually detailed review of the budget, coming back with questions and required changes that triggered the reintroduction process.What ChangedThe bulk of the amendments centered on three areas.The Safe Routes to School grant was reduced by $5,000 after the township received two conflicting award letters with different figures. The New Jersey Historic Grant — originally budgeted at $228,247 — was removed from the budget entirely after the state required a fully executed grant agreement rather than the award letter the township had on hand. That money will be added back through a Chapter 159 resolution once the agreement is finalized, as is standard practice for grants that come in after a budget is adopted.A $200,000 recycling program revenue line was also removed from the budget's special items section.On the revenue side, state aid was adjusted upward — though only slightly, by approximately $2 — and the surplus anticipated increased from $4,460,000 to $4,659,998. Total general revenues were adjusted from approximately $35,004,612 to $34,771,365.Capital Budget Moves ForwardWhile the operating budget must go back through the process, the capital budget was adopted as planned Tuesday night. That clears the way for this year's capital projects to move forward, including stream cleaning of township-owned waterways and flooding mitigation efforts.A bond ordinance appropriating $2,310,000 for various capital improvements — with $1,480,000 to be financed through bonds or notes — was also adopted.What Happens NextThe operating budget will be reintroduced and brought back for a public hearing and final adoption at the May 19 meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal complex.