New Fairfield Municipal Budget Rises 3.3% vs. Last Year

FAIRFIELD, NJ -- The Fairfield governing body adopted the 2024 municipal budget at their Monday night meeting. The 2024 municipal budget will cost the average homeowner an increase of less than $12 a month, or $142.21 for the year. The budget is an increase of approximately 3.3 percent over last year.

The value of the average home in Fairfield has gone up from $529,188 to $539,753. The new local tax rate is .506, an increase of .016 from last year’s rate of .490. The proposed new tax rate, which includes the municipality, schools, county, library and open space is $2.137.

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The total budget is $26,640,749.72, of which $16,295,430.12 is to be raised through property taxes.

- An ordinance was introduced that would amend and supplement a residential zone overlay-1 that would limit residential development. This ordinance will discourage over development in the township and hinder the increase in traffic.

The original ordinance was adopted in 2017 due to the state’s mandate on affordable housing. The ordinance’s public hearing and second reading will be on Monday, Sept. 23.

- A bond ordinance was passed that appropriates $1,020,000 for various capital improvements like resurfacing roads such as Henning Drive from #66 to Crescent Drive, Sylvan Road, Foxhill Road, Eric Road, Lane Road from Route 80 to #75 and Phyllis Lane, various acquisitions for parks and maintenance, computer system upgrades for the police department, acquisitions for the fire department, acquisitions for fleet maintenance and various improvements to the municipal complex, including reconstruction of the parking lot, lighting, fencing and a new storage building.

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- Another ordinance was passed that revised the criteria for appointment of lateral transfers of probationary police officers by the Fairfield Police Department, such as no person will be appointed probationary police officer who is not eligible under the New Jersey statutes.

- The governing body agreed on a resolution to “vigorously oppose the industrial offshore wind project.” The resolution will be sent in a letter to the state legislature, along with similar letters from many communities who are against the building of wind turbines along the New Jersey shore.

Council President Joseph Cifelli expressed his views against wind turbines, stating that he saw the destruction of birds, including bald eagles, in Montana. He also said that the turbines/birds dropped an oil substance that he wouldn’t want to see in the Atlantic Ocean nor would he want to see the massacre of shore birds.

Cifelli also expressed his thoughts on why whales were found dead along the New Jersey shore this year. He blamed the sonar being used to locate the best areas to build these turbines in the ocean.

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