The Knowlton Township adopted its 2026 budget this week. The $2.7 spending plan increases property taxes $42 for the year on an average home assessed at $205,000.
Township auditor John Mooney said the township was spared a state review of the budget and was eligible for self-examination.
“You are fortunate enough to not have the state review your budget this year,” Mooney said. “They have been intolerable with their reviews. They were no help to municipalities at all.”
Mooney said municipalities are generally subject to state review every three years and can perform a self-examination of their budgets. The governing bodies are then required to pass a resolution certifying the examination before adopting the actual budget.
This year’s budget includes $250,000 for improvements of municipal roads and $55,000 for improvements to Tunnel Field.
Not everyone was pleased with the budget. Betty Cestari, president of the Knowlton Township Senior Citizens Organization, objected to $1,000 being cut from the organization’s appropriation.
“I think it’s a terrible, terrible decision that you made,” Cestari said. “Shame on you. shame on all of you for doing this to the seniors’ group.”
When asked by committee member Adel Starrs if $1,000 could be restored to the budget for the seniors’ organization, Mooney said that action would require an amendment to the budget, which likely would delay the passage of the spending plan.
Committee member James Mazza, visibly frustrated at the last-minute proposed budget amendment, pointed out that all members of the committee had closely reviewed the budget, and that during the process, he had not heard any complaints about it.
“Not even a phone call,” he said.
In the interest of brevity, Mazza said he would make a personal contribution to the organization.
“We can’t make everybody happy,” Mazza said. “I’ll make a $500 donation just so we can move on from this.”
Also pledging $500 was Robert Boyle, the founder and CEO of Planet Networks, who was there to update the committee on the expansion of the internet provider in Knowlton later in the meeting.
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.
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
