2024 Budget- FINALLY!!!

We FINALLY adopted our 2024 Budget.  We introduced the 2024 Budget back in April. On August 28th, after 9 attempts, we approved the budget introduction.  Over the 5+ months, after answering over 200 questions, there were no changes recommended by the Council.  The Budget adoption hearing was held Wednesday.  After answering public questions and an additional 41 questions from the Council (25 of which were answered in late March and April 8th) over 2/1/2 hours. There was a unanimous vote to adopt the budget.  As you can see from the schedule above, our municipal budget is at $8.334 million for 2024, 3.39% increase over 2023.  Our total tax level will increase 4.6%.  Our tax rate (.915% v. .944%) is a reduction of 3.07% for 2024.  The rate over the 4-year period we have been managing the budgets represents a 25.1% reduction in that rate.  We will be working diligently to get tax bills out.   In addition, we can resume critical projects and move forward with  hiring/ promotions (police),  Thanks to all of our employees and professionals for moving us through this difficult process.  Didn’t have to be like this- unfortunate.  And again- after 5/12 months -no recommended changes by the Council…….. C’est dommage.

Sylvan Lake Outfall Pipe- state funding success!!

The DEP Grant- Outfall Pipe- up to $3million dollars!

The Borough of Bradley Beach and the Borough of Avon-by-the-Sea are starting the replacement of the Outfall pipe at Sylvan Lake.  This critical infrastructure project will enhance the resilience of our beloved shorelines. The Sylvan Lake Flume Repair and Outfall Pipe Replacement Project, supported by a generous State Aid grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), will address this urgent need to repair and reconstruct the flume and Outfall Pipe at Sylvan Lake, a vital waterway shared by both communities.

The project, which is estimated to cost $4 million, will be funded through a 75% State Aid grant provided by the NJDEP, with the remaining 25% of the cost shared equally by the Borough of Bradley Beach and the Borough of Avon-by-the-Sea. This partnership exemplifies the strong commitment both boroughs have to protecting and preserving their coastal environment for current and future generations.

Originally, we anticipated that our portion of the out-of-pocket spend would be $1.7-2.0 million for Bradley Beach. Now will be responsible for a maximum of $500k (50% of 1 million shared by BB and Avon).  So we will avoid well over a million dollars of borough cost!!

Stay tuned- we’ll keep you posted.  Bids are going out shortly and the project will pick up steam quickly.  We want to conclude by late Spring 2025!

By the way, adding this $1.5 million to our “grant tally” over the last 18 months gets us to $10.776 million in brought back to Bradley Beach from County, State, and Federal grants we sought and were successful attaining!!!!!

319 LaReine disposition update

At the September 11th Council meeting, we passed 2 resolutions that put us on a path to demolition to the 2 buildings on the site and sale of the property.  Our Borough Administrator, Meredith DeMarco, is taking the lead with a small team to execute a plan.  Key next steps are:

- The Borough Attorney completion the Land-Use Board application for a major sub-division

-Complete application and get scheduled for a Land-Use Board review

-Ensure that subdivision plan, survey, grading plan updated and complete

-JCP&L, NJNG, NJAW and The Neptune Sewer Authority will serve letters completed 

-Complete Artifacts disposition agreements

Thank you for your patience in this matter, we are getting there!

Contract Negotiations- where we stand..

We have had two productive mediation sessions with the appointed Mediator and both negotiation teams in late August and September 6th.  

We thought we made good progress on September 6th.  The UFCW 152 Negotiating team asked for a few days to get back to us with a counter proposal.  That was 21 days ago.  I am beginning to be concerned. 

Do we want to progress? or, I have heard that some Council members have inferred to Union Members to hold off on negotiations until after the first of the year tragic if true.  We need to conclude this, for everyone’s benefit.

We are hoping to progress next week. Stay tuned.  I appreciate both the bargaining unit and municipal negotiating teams efforts.

Mayor’s Wellness Walk – Sept. 20-

Our first ever How about an evening Mayors Wellness Walk on a Friday Evening.  About 40 residents joined us and we received an informative talk, got some exercise and great fellowship !  

Thanks to the MWC TEAM and Hackensack Meridian for the wonderful support!

-Engineering projects- status!

The Promenade extension, Main Street, Sylvan Lake (3 projects) , the North -End Promenade pump house renovation for a potential museum, Recreation and Park improvements, sewer and road improvements….. lots of projects.

Now that the budget has passed, we can resume planning for these critical improvement projects.  I will devote a significant part of the next newsletter to inform you!

I love this community.  I hope we continue to value inclusion and our diversity.  I hope we stay true to our social commitments.   We are in a larger sense a family, and we should always remind ourselves of this important point.

See you around town!   

Mayor Larry Fox