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Budget Referendum Goes Down in Flames

April 22, 2026

Hand-painted sign reads Blairstown Taxpayer Special Election April 21 — That would be a no. Voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to exceed to state budget limits. Photo by Joe Phalon.

Nearly 1,200 Blairstown residents went to the polls Tuesday, and almost all of them voted to reject a proposed referendum to allow the Township Committee to exceed state budget limits by $800,000.

With 1,176 votes cast, the referendum was overwhelmingly defeated in a 920-256 vote, with “no” votes beating “yes” votes 78 percent to 23 percent—a 55 percentage point spread. The issue brought 23 percent turnout of registered voters to the polls, a pretty substantial number for a single-issue, off-year election.

In the wake of the defeat, the budget’s drawing board is expected to be in full operation at Wednesday’s committee meeting, at 7:30, where the governing body is expected to take up the issue and find ways to make up for the now-shortfall.

Had the referendum passed, it would have allowed the township to exceed the existing spending plan by $800,000. At its March 28 meeting, the township committee introduced a $3.8 million budget, which will be up for final adoption April 30.

At the March meeting, the committee voted to increase the budget’s annual cost of living adjustment from 2 percent to 3.5 percent. The state Division of Local Government Services, which oversees municipal budgets, automatically allows for a 2 percent increase, and a municipality can raise that number to 3.5 percent, as Blairstown did.

The reason for the $800,000 appropriation, as explained at the March meeting, is basically that there isn’t enough money under current constraints to fund planned operations for 2026.

The initial 2026 budget included $491,250 for police salaries and wages, $150,000 for streets and roads expenses, $64,300 for employee group insurance, and $35,000 for streets and roads.

Stay tuned…

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.