Good morning, West Orange. Welcome to the special township council meeting for November 7th, 2025. Uh before I turn the floor over to council president, I would just like to remind everyone that West Orange municipal offices are closed on Veterans Day, uh November 11th. There
will be regular Jity service and regular garbage recycling schedule. Also, I'd like to publicly invite everyone to our annual uh town hall Veterans Day ceremony, November 11th, 11:00 in front of town hall. With that, I'd like to turn the floor over to council
president. >> Thank you, Mr. Fagan. And I would like to turn this uh meeting over to Madame Clerk. >> Thank you. This is to inform the general public that this meeting is being held in compliance with section 5 of the Open Public Meetings Act, chapter 231, public
law 1975. The notice for this meeting was emailed to the Star Ledger and the West Orange Chronicle on November 5th, 2025. Councilwoman Castelino, >> present. >> Councilwoman Ruden, >> here. >> Councilwoman Scarpa, >> present.
>> Council President Koviaak, >> present. and let the record show that Councilwoman elect Williams is in attendance this morning. >> Thank you, Madame Clerk. I want to follow that up by saying thanks to the seven residents who ran in the council election November 4th, earlier this week
to replace Councilwoman Kebra Michael, who resigned earlier this year. And want to extend a warm welcome to Councilwoman Elect Williams. Uh she's up here uh because she won the election and is awaiting certification
by the county board of election of elections and uh at that point she will be sworn in and will join us on the deis uh as a full-fledged uh sworn member and we welcome her role in any discussion we have today and we just she doesn't have
the legal right to vote at a council meeting. She can vote in elections. She's a resident, but uh uh that's why she's here. Also, as a result of the settlement of litigation the mayor filed against the previous term council that was approved at last week's council
meeting, we welcome our new assistant town attorney, Greg Pastor, on Zoom. Mr. Pastor, you're there? >> I am, Mr. President. Yes, >> that sounds good. And please keep an eagle eye because I sometimes don't know what I'm doing.
>> I don't believe that. Okay. Uh, we're going to start off with >> pledge of allegiance. Will everyone please rise for the pledge of allegiance? >> See what I mean? >> To the flag >> of the United States of America
and >> to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, >> indivisible, >> with liberty, >> liberty and justice for all. >> For all. >> The council is now in their public
meeting. Thank you. I think we should uh start off very quickly with public comment. Uh we're allowing public comment from in person in the council chambers uh this afternoon. And uh if
uh if you would like to speak, please raise your hand, be recognized by the uh council president, and then you can come up to the podium which is to my right. You have five minutes to speak and would appreciate if everyone would be uh civil
and uh treat others with your comments as you would like to be treated. Is there anyone who would like to speak at public comment? Please raise your hand. Seeing no hands raised, I'm going to close public comment and we can uh move
on to our meeting. Uh we called this special meeting to consider the first amendment to our 2025 budget. This needs to be approved and made public in time to be considered uh for the budget to be
considered for adoption at next week's November 12th, Wednesday council meeting. Uh residents will have a chance to weigh weigh in on uh the budget and the amendment at the required public hearing at the next council meeting. Uh this of
course assumes we approve this today. Uh the amendment uh then this is important to those of you who pay your taxes uh directly. Uh once next week that we do approve
the the budget, we do approve and adopt the budget, it then goes to the Essex County Tax Board, which will then assign exact tax rates uh to the budget and then we can get the uh Q4 tax bills out and you will get them. And I just want
to apologize again on behalf of the council for this unacceptable delay in the budget process this year and the consequent uh uncertainty and any difficulty that any of you have had on payment of your Q3 and Q4 taxes. We uh
expect the process for the 2025 budget to end before the end of December. Uh so those of you who are concerned about the grace period running into 2026, we do not expect that to happen and uh the council recognizes that the 2025 budget
process is broken and not acceptable and uh uh we'll talk about that a little bit later after our uh consideration of the uh first amendment to our 2025 budget.
Uh, moving to resolutions. I will entertain a motion to consider uh resolution 249-25. >> I make a motion. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> A second.
>> Great. Thank you. Now, uh, I can I I guess I can talk a little bit about what the what the amendment talks about. Is that is this appropriate time to do that or >> Well, he's going to read the resolution. So, >> before you blow their minds with all the
gobbledygook, I'm going to try to minimize the gobbledygook. Uh let's see here. Uh as as some of you may know, we were planning to adopt uh the uh budget at our previous council meeting. was put
off because the state took an extended time period to review uh the budget. And uh the good news is that the state's review of the budget and the amendment is done so that we can move forward to budget adoption at the November 12th
meeting. The bad news, at least as far as the council's efforts to reduce the property tax increase as much as possible, is that the state required a net increase in the tax in the property tax of just over $290,000. The original first budget amendment
before state review reflected the council's 3.36 million reduction in the budget collaborating with the administration and the citizens budget advisory board uh in the mayor's proposed spending and thus the property tax levy. Every dollar once the budget
is opened up every dollar we reduce it also reduces the taxes uh uh accordingly. The original budget had uh proposed a more than 6% increase in property tax. >> How are you?
>> I'm sorry. Whoever is speaking, could you please mute uh uh please mute your uh connection to the zoom. So through our efforts that put the increase in the municipal operating property tax, the largest of the three
municipal taxes and the only one council can modify at only $31.56 uh to the uh bill for the average homeowner in West Orange. That was a reduction of 87% from the mayor's draft
budget proposed tax of $243.31. The revised first amendment which is on the council I'm sorry on the township website on the agenda uh increases that bill to $4943. Now that's more than a 50% increase from
the original uh budget amendment that we had we had worked on the budget. But even so this reduction in the tax savings is still just under 80% from the mayor's proposal. The mayor, the major driver of the changed amendment is the
state's requirement that the township increase our reserve for uncollected taxes, typically known as RU. This is a non-spending appropriation. In other words, we're not putting this money out. Uh but it's basically a conservative
cushion made to ensure that we have adequate cash flow for our budget spending. The RU also serves the state requirement that municipalities collect and transfer your other five property taxes. We are legally required, no
matter how much we collect in these taxes, we have to turn over 100% to all the other uh funds and the other entities like the county and the uh uh board of education. We had proposed a a RUT based on this
year's ongoing collection rate of 99.0 06% which is a tremendously high uh collection rate and one that we have been around for as long as I've been uh uh dealing with the council uh in the last 15 years. We have a extremely high
collection rate. Uh the state required us to use the slightly smaller 2024 tax collection rate in the budget as the calculation baseline. This increased the RUT from nearly $2.45 $45 million to just over $3 million. And while we do
not spend the ru, the uh accounting entry helps generate a slightly larger fund balance that is then applied to next year's budget, which then reduces the our property tax levy for next year. So eventually, it's good news. Uh the uh
and as I uh mentioned, that's what we're here to consider today. So we have a motion on the floor. Is there any discussion? >> Yes. >> Including including Mr. Ziniac, I don't know if this is the time for you to talk or do you want to
wait till the discussion and then you can read the resolution. >> Uh Madame Clerk, what's the proper read the resolution first >> to be read and then follow up on Councilman Ruden and uh soon as we're finished, we'll get back
to Mr. Teniac. >> So, I'm I'm only reading the body of the resolution. Um so this is from the current fund section six of the adopted budget amount to be raised by taxes for support of
municipal budget local tax for municipal purposes including reserve for taxes from 66,939,61481 to 66,429,352.111. Total amount to be raised by taxes for support of municipal budget from
69,767,670.17 to 69,257,4747. Total general revenues section seven of the budget from 105,57,154 to 104,996,738.84. Section 8 of the budget, general
appropriations. Subsection operations within caps general government town council salaries and wages 62,400 sorry from $62,435
to $59,31325. Town council other expenses from $35,154 to $45,830. Township clerk salaries and wages from $260,425.70 to $259,425.71. Township attorney salaries and wages
from 81,000 to $77,365. planning board. Other expenses from $13,74256 to $11,429.34. Support for commissions other expenses from $81,7742 to $69,796.96.
Public defender other expenses from $22,750 to $17,750. Department of Administration and Finance, Office of the Business Administrator. Salaries and wages from
$320,86 to $35,38.75. >> Other expenses from 148 uh $148,485 to $143,231. Central purchasing other expenses from
$3,775 to $3,275. Central printing and supplies other expenses from $19,700 to $5,700. Central Telephone other expenses from
$319,500 to $299,500. Central insurance unemployment compensation insurance from 90,000 to $85,000. Central Insurance general liability from
1,329,346.71 to1,311,439.50. Central Insurance employee group health from 17,38,36252,8,36252 central mailing service other expenses from $18,350.38 to $83,550.38.
information technology central IT police department services from $385,9855 to $353,4855 tax collector's office other expenses from $95,4164
to $75,416 64. Township treasurer. Other expenses 2000 uh excuse me five uh from $2,58952 to $1,749.
Division of accounts and control other expenses from $332,800 to $372,800. Department of Planning and Development, Planning and Development Director,
Salaries and Wages from 391,610 to $328,280. Other expenses from $33,927.72 to $6,484.7. Housing Code Enforcement Salaries and wages from $367,833
to $328,280. Other expenses 700 from $7,546.76 to $2,46.76. Division of fire. Uh Department of Fire Division of Fire. Other expenses from $95,66927 to $110,66927.
Uniform fire safety other expenses from $31,8463 to $38,8463. Emergency Management Service. Other expenses from $1,729.89 to $1. Department of Public Works Division of
Engineering Office of the Township Engineer. Salaries and wages for from $488,136 to $467,437. other expenses from $56,660.71 to $51,660.71. Division of Building and Property,
Public Building Operations, Other Expenses from 1,9,93763 to 968,387663. Shade tree care and pruning. Other expenses from $395,18410 to $313,88110.
Street repairs other expenses from $55,7843 to $46,7843. sanitation and general township service force. Other expenses $10,9916 to $6,4554. Central Automotive other expenses from
$770,3949 to $595,74562. Sewage and pumping stations. Other expenses from $82,400 to $63,400. Department of Health and Welfare
Division of Health Other Expenses from $49,68463 to $31,18463. Senior Citizen Health Center. other expenses from $38,487.50 to $34,1530 uh 31.
Garbage and trash removal contract. other expenses from 5,326,1347 to 5,38,95347 Department of Recreation Parks and Playgrounds salaries and wages from $719,50.70
to $763,450.70. Other expenses 100 from $157,314.86 to $140,31486. Celebration of public events, anniversary or holiday. other expenses from $69,27849 to $61,1251.
Unclassified utilities gasoline from $483,21143 to $465,000. unclassified utilities water from $54,468.88 to $52,968.88. Unclassified utility medical transport
billing service from 185,000 to 150,000. Total operations item 8A within caps from 71,418,767.98 to 70,440,7521 total operations including contingent
within caps from 71,419,767.98 to 70,4 $441,7521. The detail salary and wages from 37,684,44418 to 37,582,458.19. detail for other expenses from
33,735,323.80 80 to 32,859,29382 section H1 total general appropriations for municipal purposes within caps from 81,697,46262 to 80,719,4465 operations. s excluded from caps tax
appeal refunds from $350,000 to $200,000. Total other other operations excluded from caps from 7,17,22.36 to 6,867,22.36. Total operations excluded from caps from
7,17,22.36 to $6,867,22.36. the detail other expenses from 7,17,22.36 to 6,867,22.36 section D municipal debt service excluded from caps interest on bonds
from1,952,945 to1,972,6 $60.25 total municipal debt service excluded from caps from 11,820,000 $820,791 to 11,839,9625
H2 total general appropriations for municipal purposes excluded from $21,361,616 $16.76 to 21,230,7321. Total general appropriations excluded
from cap section O from 21 thou uh 21,361,616.76 to 21,230,7321. Section L, subtotal general appropriations, items H1 and O
from 103,59,79.38 to 101,950,17866. Section M, the reserve for uncollected taxes from $2,447,92216 to 3,46,560.18. Section 9, total general appropriations
from 105,57,154 to 104,996,738.84. The dedicated assessment budget. Section 14 of the budget document. Dedicated revenues from assessment cash from $290,000 to 300,000.
Total assessment revenues from $290,000 to $300,000. Section 15. Appropriations for assessment debt. Payment of bond principal from $290,000
to $300,000. Total assessment appropriations from $290,000 to $300,000. Um, you want to continue on just read the rest of the body of it? >> You can.
>> Okay. Be it further resolved that two certified copies of this resolution be filed forth with in the office of the director of the division of local government services for certification of the calendar year 2025 local municipal budget so amended. Be it further
resolved that this complete amendment in accordance with NJSA4A uh col4-9 be published in the STAR ledger in the issue of November 9th, 2025 and that said publication contain notice of a public hearing on set amendment to be held at the municipal
building on November 12th, 2025 at 700 p.m. Um I think that's all I need to read. Well done, Mr. Tiniac. >> Is everyone still here? I think I blacked out.
>> The question is yes, whether they're still awake. >> So, thank you. Uh, so let's return. Councilwoman Ruden, you had raised your hand to uh join the discussion, please. >> Yes. Um, is there a surplus in this budget?
>> Is there a surplus? Are we using surplus or will this budget generate a surplus? >> Surplus right now in West Orange. Yes, that's that's the surplus anticipated the three something million dollars that we use um
as a revenue item. >> Mhm. >> Right. Do we have an 11 million surplus? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, the the sur what was the need to increase this if we do currently have a surplus. The need to increase the reserve for
uncollected taxes was a required calculation based on not just the growth of our own appropriations, but the board of education, the county, and and the library. There's a calculation that goes along with it. So, as council president
said, we have to pay 100% of the levy over to the school, to the county, and and to the library. So obviously not everyone can pay their taxes um within the year. So in order to
ensure that we have the cash flow to not only pay the levies over to the to the other entities but also to to fund our own operations, we have this non-spending appropriation, the rut or reserve for uncollected taxes. Um,
part of the reason that they did did not want to go along with the ongoing collection percentage for Q1, 2, and three is that we're late in the process. So, there's an anticipation that just based on when the bills go out that
we're not going to collect up to the 99.06% by 1231. Um so that's why they wanted us to go with the conservative method of following last year's collection percentage of 98.84 84 and it doesn't
seem like a lot um in terms of the basis points but it it has a real impact on that rut calculation >> was was this number arrived at after understanding how much the open space library and the what was the third
component >> so the the board of education >> board of education >> the county library and our own appropriations >> how much do we owe out of this rut to those three entities Well, I don't know if I have the levies in front of me, but
let's see. Councilman, are you asking what the collection rate, the actual cast collection rate is for those different entities, or are you talking about what the budgets say the levy should be? what
we owe actually to those three entities as a result of we're we're we're increasing the rut I assume because we have to pay those three entities. >> Yeah. I don't have their the county levy in front of me. Um I mean the majority
of the taxes go to the school. If you look at our tax bill of being 16,162 10,000 of it is the school tax. I don't have the exact levy in front of me. It's hundred something million dollars that we pay them.
>> So this will be utilized very quickly. Is that what you're saying? Or or have the >> No, >> the rut >> the rut will be emptied very quickly. Do we owe money to to the schools to the library and to open space from budget?
>> It's not that it get it doesn't get used. It's really an accounting. It's an it's an allocation. It's like allowance for bad debts basically. Um, so I like to use the example of let's say we had a budget of $1,000. So within
that $1,000 we have to pay the county, we have to pay our own people. We have to pay the school and it's a balanced budget. So your revenue is $1,000 in taxes and then your spending is $1,000. Well, if we spend $1,000 but we don't
collect $1,000, we're in the negative. So what the rut actually is is let's say the rut in this case is $200 and then our spending appropriations are $800. So we can only spend $800 because we may not collect the full
thousand. That's how the rut works. >> And this cannot be used to in any other budget line. >> No, no, no. You don't spend it. There's no spending against like I can't say like oh take this project out of the rut. It's
it gets fully expended every single year and what it does is it goes towards the calculation of the taxes that we collected. Um so it does no there's no spending against it. I don't want you to think like oh we increased it because
we're going to you know pay for something out of here or put some OT to it. There's no spending against it. It's simply an an accounting entry. So >> okay. And why wasn't this considered to begin with? Why why are we getting this figure so late in the game?
>> Well, we didn't have our review till so late and they said, "Hey, we're not going to go with your ongoing because our ongoing collection percentage Q1 2 and 3 is 99.06%." Um, so that's that's what I calculated
the rut at, and it very well may end up being 99.06% at the end of this year. Hopefully it is. Um, but again with how late it is and we're not getting the bills out till, you know, end of middle of November towards the end of November,
they're not going to be due. At least the grace period is not going to be until December. They wanted to air on the side of being conservative with the rut and they made me use the 98.84, which was the calculated 2024
percentage. So it that increased it 598,000. I tried to do my best to offset it. And then of course we had the other appropriation items that were reviewed and you know I had a back and forth with the state on many of the items. So not
every item was increased um that they looked at but you know I had to I had to follow along because we have to get it done. Like I need the cash for the school and the county. So we just need to get it done. And you know, I still think
I I still think it's a monumental undertaking that we were able to get the reduction on the municipal tax um to where it is from where we started. I think it's 193 thou $193 in the average home from where we started. Um
so, you know, I think it's it's still great work that everyone has done here and for those from CBA in the audience as well. Um yeah. Yeah. >> So just one final question. When you provided the council with the note that
we needed to >> possibly approve this, >> um why didn't you provide the backup at that time because that's the kind of thing that both we and the CBAB need to look at in order to understand this
request. I think I sent a memo to the council pretty shortly after I came up with the amendment. Um, >> but not the backup from the state so that we understood what what was going on. >> I mean, most most councils I've dealt
with wouldn't be so inside baseball on it. You know, I should have figured that this group would. Um, but as soon as you asked me for it, I think I sent it. >> You did right away 15 minutes later. Yeah. So, I'll in the future obviously
just share those things so that everybody is, you know, we're all on the same page. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Is there anybody else who'd like to discuss this before vote? >> I have my hand up.
>> Counciloman Castelino, please. >> Thank you, Council President, and uh welcome to our new attorney that's on the line, and welcome back uh Councilwoman uh Williams. uh be looking forward to working with you again and congratulations.
Um so yeah, so you know my concern is that on the website folks I've been getting calls this week that um you know they're going to pay their fourth quarter taxes for those who don't have it included in their mortgage payment and it reads out
zero. So, you know, we have a lot of astute people that know obviously their fourth quarter tax isn't set yet or it's not zero, but I don't blame the state for looking at um our numbers and
wanting to increase uh that for us um because unfortunately there will be people thinking that maybe they don't owe and they may be uh delinquent until they get their bills late. So, I I could understand that. So I think you know Mr.
Diniac if there could be a letter in is there going to be some kind of letter in the fourth quarter tax bill going out to folks uh in regards of what occurred? Number one and my second question is um
you know is there something that else we could put on the website so folks know to look for their tax bill or is it already there and it's just not easily seen? I I I just don't know. So, I'm concerned about that. If you could answer that and then I have one other statement.
>> So, regarding what they see when they go into our online portal, we we can't post a bill for Q4 until the county certifies the levy and then we generate the bills through Zenv. And so, there there's
nothing to put there. Um, you know, we do have something on the website. I I have to figure probably threearters of the town has called the tax office in the last few weeks. Um >> that's it. >> Yeah. I mean I I I hear it. People that
come in um you know I I do have to say the tax staff has been incredible. They are on the phone the entire day. Um I've heard the same script over and over. you know, we've we've been letting the residents know that uh you know, the
bills are coming or you know, they're not there yet, but they they will be coming and that they will have 25 days from the time that the the bills are postmarked as, you know, for the grace period. Um, so we're doing everything we can um when it comes to that. Uh I'll
have to talk to to Peter about uh Mr. Smaro about the the letter. Um, you know, so I I we have something on the website. You know, anybody that >> that usually pays their tax bills has probably called us or they've already
come in and we've talked to them. So, you know, we're just doing everything we can. >> No. And I I appreciate that. I appreciate all your hard work. I know this was a stressful year for you and your office and and I want to thank everyone for being very professional and
patient with with everyone. There's been a lot this past year within uh the community within the administration and the council. So again, appreciation for that. Um but you know what, as far as my colleagues, this was great. You know, we
we did save about $200. However, again, we we were able to do that because one, it was so late and we had actuals of the spending. that's not going to be possible this coming year because you're going to, you know, we'll go off the
actuals of this year and we'll see where we land uh when we get the budget in January. But I'm going to ask the clerk on Tuesday's meeting or if we could figure out with the administration uh one Saturday in like January,
February whenever the administration is ready that we could uh at least have one long budget meeting um that we could all sit down and um you know look at it and go from there. I mean we had a lot of meetings which was great. Um but again
um we cannot deliver a estimated thirdarter tax bill in 2026 being in the mortgage business for many years. It's just not um the the right way to go. So, I appreciate all the hard work from the
committee and my colleagues and and everyone else, but we got to do better next year because people are really stressed out about not paying their fourth quarter tax bills this uh past uh week. So, um I just wanted to reiterate
that and if we could, you know, make sure we get the schedule out for one long Saturday. I don't want to be there every Saturday. I don't want to be there with a hundred meetings. Hopefully, that won't be the case. this year. Um hopefully it'll be a little bit better. But um I think madame clerk, if we, you
know, if my colleagues agree with me, we get out a date early enough where everybody could clear their calendar, at least start off with one long meeting on a Saturday and hopefully like we did years ago, uh we were able to get things done in one day. If not, obviously we'll need other days. Thank you. Thank you,
Council President. That was my comment. >> Thank you, Councilwoman. Counciloman Ruden. Um yes, I am looking at the the um website where it says tax payments the front page. If we could just put a banner across that, we still have most
people um think in terms of a grace of 10 days. It's only the 7th right now. So if we can put a a banner across that page and also a banner across our front page on our website. Yeah, I think we have something on the front page, but we
will add something to the um to that tax page if there's nothing there. Yeah. >> And the other thing that could be done very easily is a ROOC call going out from the administration just alerting people so that everybody gets the phone call so that you your office doesn't
have to get the remaining phone calls. >> I Yeah, I'd have to talk I I don't know the process for for the roocalls or the the messaging. Okay. The just going to caution though when we do that we also get return calls.
>> No, it's not the it's not the cause. It's it's just Well, we do it the the uh people will be calling us back in. So, you know, we will do it. Um but it just it may be at the expense of them getting a lot more. >> No, we're going to get calls either way. So, as long as that's the possibility, yeah, >> we could do it. It's not a big deal. We
can get that done. Council >> Ruden, >> that's it. Thank you. >> Council, >> is there a cost to >> Councilwoman Le excuse me? Is there a cost to the robocall since we're talking about saving dollars? >> No, it's it's part of the service. We could just we'll have our staff set it
up and send it out. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Well, I was going to save this until after we took the vote, but I I do want to follow on to some of the comments here. Uh I think the council and the administration and the citizens budget advisory board all agree that the budget
process we followed this year was not acceptable. It is a broken process. The council didn't even start working on the budget until April 14th and we had 16 budget workshops, the last one in September and I think that's too long
too. Uh so we clearly have a a a broken budget process. The CFO has committed to deliver the draft budget from the mayor in January. So, that's going to start us uh a lot earlier in the year and it's going to start us sooner uh very soon
after we get finished with this budget. And I think all of us as as uh Councilwoman Castelino alluded to need to think through this new process and the council and the CFO and the administration and the CBA. We need to
get consensus on a process that we follow, what our priorities are and and how the steps that we're going to take. And I think we should start discussing that at the November 12th meeting and somehow put into place a page or two
process that everybody agrees on and it's got to be focused on efficiency and everybody has to know what the process is and what their role is and we have got to get this done a a lot sooner. So, just wanted to follow up uh on that. Uh any other any other discussion of this
before vote, Madame Clerk, >> Councilwoman Castelino? >> Yes. >> Yeah, we already have a motion. Okay. Councilwoman Ruden, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Scarpa, >> yes. >> Council President Koviaak, >> yes. >> The motion carries.
>> Wonderful. Big step forward. Next one we will get to next week in the November 12th meeting and council meeting and hopefully we won't have any other uh glitches in in getting this finished up.
>> Mr. Janick, did you want to >> I just I just want to thank you council president uh and your fellow council members and the the CABB and all the residents of uh West Orange um for their patience. Obviously, um, you know, I think, as you mentioned, there were some
aspects of the budget process that didn't work well, but I I think we've learned a lot, at least on the administration's side of of how to approach this. And, um, of course, keeping the council informed and giving them the information that they need to make their decisions is is absolutely
paramount, as we I think just discussed about having the DGS information. Um, so we're going to approach it with that mindset and we look forward to 2026. >> Sounds good. >> Thank you. Um, I just wanted to say
thank you to my colleagues that um, extended well wishes. I want to say thank you to the West Orange community uh, for allowing me this opportunity to sit um, on your behalf and make these decisions for our community. It is a pleasure to return and I look forward to
the work ahead. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councilwoman Ruden. >> Yes. I just wanted to say although the the um council has gotten a lot of hit for having a an elongated process, all of this would be easier if we get a
reasonable budget to begin with. >> You're you're preaching to the choir, but the the person that is responsible for that is not here, but hopefully she'll she'll hear. But I I agree with you, >> Council President. On behalf of the mayor, um you know, and Mr. Duten X
said, "We've already had conversations with our directors and our department heads that we are working on. We're going to be working on our next budget immediately." Um, and we're waiting for this process to be finalized because Mr. Dennia and the staff has been kind of, um, busy.
Um, and you're >> absolutely right. >> And so, um, this discussion has been had at the last two director's meetings, so it's it's not falling on deaf ears, and they understand and we've already discussed processes and things of that nature. >> Sounds good. >> All right. Madam clerk, did you have your hand up? >> No.
>> Oh, okay. Is there anything else we need to discuss today? >> I I did. I do. >> Yes. Councilwoman, >> now ju just real quick, you know, I just think circumstances last year transitioning Mr. Datiniac coming in
because I don't I don't I don't fault him and and wi with him at all or the administ you know the administration there a lot of things a lot of processes a lot of things have turned over. I just think we all need to turn a new page, look to 2026
and um just accept that this was a tough year. So hope everybody learned a lot. Um and blame should should you know there's enough blame for everybody. We had 16 meetings which we should should have been a lot quicker with. So we all
have to take blame where blame is due and deliver the taxpayers their budget um so they do not get a estimated third quarter tax bill should be the priority of 2026. So that's all. Thank you. >> Totally agreed. Well said. Anybody else?
I'll entertain a motion to >> Mr. President Greg Pastor attorney here. I just wanted to um briefly say uh thank you to everybody who welcomed me. I look forward to working uh with you all uh next year and and you did a masterful job, Mr. President, of managing this
meeting. >> Well, I I have to disagree with you for the first time. I did not do a masterful management of this process. Otherwise, we would have been done a long time ago. But I appreciate the sentiment and hopefully uh the next council president
next year will do a masterful job, a better one than I did. Uh but thank you for your kind words. Any any uh anybody else? I will try to entertain a motion to adjurnn unless somebody else has anything. >> I second.
>> Somebody has to make it first. >> The motion. >> I make a motion to adjurnn. >> I'll second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I >> I Any opposed? The meeting is journed. >> Wonderful. Thanks everybody. >> Thank you.
>> Have a great weekend guys.