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Politics & Government

Doria Resignation Delays Fanwood Budget

Borough officials require award of extraordinary aid to complete municipal budget.

Due to circumstances beyond the control of borough officials, there’s still no budget for Fanwood, and no real timetable for when there will be. 

The recent federal probe had the unintended result of temporarily delaying the extraordinary aid that Fanwood needs to approve its budget. With the resignation of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Joe Doria on July 23 in the middle of a highly publicized federal corruption probe, the extraordinary aid that Fanwood needed to complete its budget was placed in a state of flux, putting the budget on hold. 

“Usually, the municipalities that apply for extraordinary aid and believe that they have a shot at getting the aid, will hear (about the aid) shortly after the state adopts its budget on June 20. That, normally, is sometime in the first two weeks of July,” Mayor Colleen Mahr said, following the borough council meeting on Aug. 4. “I think this year is different because of the development with the commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs resigning, that may have stopped some of the movement of the extraordinary aid awards. We’re now just waiting patiently for the extraordinary aid awards.” 

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For Fanwood residents, the real questions are when the borough will receive the extraordinary aid, and when it will be able to finalize its budget. 

“I called down there (Trenton) today, and no one could give us a timetable,” said Mahr, who noted during the meeting that she thought the borough would have had a budget already had the extraordinary aid not been delayed. The council introduced a resolution at the Aug. 4 meeting announcing temporary emergency appropriations to deal with the costs incurred by the delays that have prevented the borough from adopting a budget.

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Borough Attorney Dennis Estes noted that progress toward the award of extraordinary aid had been made, but that progress had stopped since the resignation of Doria. 

“They were getting close to (the point) where the commissioner was trying to get this moving and finished, and I got an e-mail the other day, saying, ‘I guess we’re back to square one,’” said Estes, who added that he would be surprised if a new commissioner was named between now and the end of the year. Doria was not charged in the probe. Acting Commissioner Charles Richman will temporarily replace Doria.

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