The polls will open in Blairstown April 21 for voters to decide on a levy cap referendum that would allow the township to exceed state-imposed budget limits.
If it is passed, it will permit 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 is, basically, that there isn’t enough money under current constraints to fund planned operations for 2026.
“The problem that you were having was that your budget did not contain enough dollars to capture all the expenses that are taking place in the town,” according to township auditor John Mooney.
In the past, Mooney explained, shortfalls such as this have been funded by emergency appropriations, essentially borrowing from the next year, but the budget can no longer absorb those appropriations, particularly with several big-ticket items in this year’s budget.
The 2026 budget includes $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 salaries and wages.
Mayor Rob Moorhead said the final impact on taxes can’t be determined until the referendum is decided and a final budget is adopted. He also pointed out that in situations like the pending referendum, elected and appointed town officials are restricted by state guidelines from openly advocating or opposing the referendum.
If the referendum is passed, the town would be permitted to adopt the proposed budget with the higher spending level. If it goes down, it’s back to the drawing board for the committee to create a budget with reduced appropriations to remain withing state limits.
Polls will be open April 21 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Mail-in ballots were scheduled to be sent to Blairstown voters around March 23. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot by mail is April 14, while in-person applications at the county clerk’s office will be accepted until 3 p.m. April 20.
Mail-in ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. April 26 via drop box or hand delivery to the Warren County Board of Elections office in Belvidere or be postmarked by April 26 and received by April 27 to be counted.
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/
