Glen Ridge Council Advances Budget Cap, Approves License Plate Readers at County Intersections
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At the Glen Ridge Mayor & Council meeting on April 14, 2025, the council introduced an ordinance capping growth in the municipal budget at 3.5% over last year's spending, sending it forward for statutory publication ahead of a future public hearing. The council also formally introduced the borough's full FY2025 municipal budget, which will be posted online in full text before its own future public hearing and adoption vote. Separately, the council approved a bills list that included $3.66 million tied to the current bond issue, along with smaller amounts for other bonds.
The council also authorized installation of automatic license plate reader cameras on traffic signals at intersections within Essex County's road system, with the borough agreeing to shield the county from related legal claims; a new installation company was brought on after an earlier attempt to install the system failed, and the cameras will be subject to state and internal audits to guard against misuse. In other street-related business, the council introduced an ordinance creating new parking restrictions on Edgewood Road, a street shared with Bloomfield, to make room for street cleaning, following outreach from police to residents there.
The council accepted a $14,900 state grant from the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse to support the Glen Ridge Municipal Alliance, and adopted a certification confirming the borough's employment practices comply with federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance on considering job applicants' arrest and conviction records under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Following the death of longtime volunteer Balum, who had served on both the Shade Tree Commission and the Planning Board, the mayor appointed Akaya F. Armstrong to fill the Shade Tree Commission seat through the end of 2027 and Joseph Schuster as second alternate to the Planning Board through the end of 2026. The council also approved a liquor permit for a Community Fund fundraiser at Cricket Field on June 8th and multiple raffle licenses for the Glen Ridge High School HSA to support school activities.
Residents were reminded that a tax revaluation crew has begun inspecting properties borough-wide, carrying official identification and vetted by police, with anyone unsure of an inspector's identity urged to call police. A separate crew is replacing aging residential water meters with new remote-read technology and is asking residents to schedule roughly 30-minute appointments for access. The state has approved the Shade Tree Commission's community forest management plan, and the commission is in the midst of planting 53 new trees. A council member also raised a resident's complaint about intermittent Verizon service on the north end of town following a service upgrade, and is working to identify the right official to contact about it, while a Willow Street resident's speeding complaint has prompted Sergeant Pariggo to assess traffic conditions there. The police department was also awarded a grant to combat distracted driving, with officials reminding drivers to use hands-free devices or pull over to use their phones. Finally, a National Day of Action rally on April 5th drew about 150 participants with no incidents reported, and organizers were planning a similarly sized rally for the 19th.
What to watch
- A future public hearing on the ordinance capping municipal budget growth at 3.5%
- A future public hearing and adoption vote on the FY2025 municipal budget
- A rally planned for the 19th, expected to draw a turnout similar to the roughly 150 who attended the April 5th event