The Last Council Meeting Before the Primary: What They're Not Telling You About the Budget

by Satenik Margaryan

Photo by Diane Helentjaris on Unsplash

Last night, I attended the final Bloomfield Town Council meeting before the June primary. Tucked cryptically into a crowded agenda was an “update from the Town Administrator on the budget”—a line that should’ve raised red flags. This wasn’t a meeting to miss.

Ceremonies and Celebrations Took Center Stage

The first portion of the meeting was filled with proclamations and well-deserved community recognitions. Students, parents, and school staff packed the chamber as the town honored:

• The 6th Grade Girls Basketball Champions from Demarest School
  

• The 6th Grade Boys Basketball Champions from Fairview School
  

• The Bloomfield Jr. Bengal Cheerleaders
  

The council also issued proclamations for:

• AAPI Heritage Month — with heartfelt remarks from long-serving nonprofit Fil-Am Pag-Asa
  

• National Gun Violence Awareness Day — marked by orange ribbons from Moms Demand Action and a sobering speech by Lorraine Lombardi
  

• Lupus Awareness — recognized by speakers who had been unable to attend the previous meeting
  

• The Mayor also introduced her new wellness campaign.

After the Applause Faded: Residents Speak Up

As families cleared out—understandably, it was a school night—the meeting moved to public comment. Residents raised serious concerns about pedestrian safety. Norm Sutaria thanked the council for traffic calming efforts but emphasized unresolved dangers at the intersection of Belleville Avenue and Broad Street. A resident known as Ms. Pinky shared her harrowing story of being struck by a car at that very spot, urging for better lighting and cleaner bus stops.

The Budget “Update” That Wasn’t

Then came the budget update—or what was supposed to be one. What we got was a vague, meandering statement from the Town Administrator:

"We’ve been meeting regularly... trying to implement budget cuts and find funding... We’re adjusting to state and federal cuts... We’ll be reaching out to the Division of Local Government Services... and plan to introduce the budget in June."

That’s it. No numbers. No timelines. No explanation for why we are months behind.

But Here’s What the Law Actually Says

In Local Finance Notice 2024-20, the New Jersey Division of Local Government Services extended the following deadlines for 2025 budgets:

• Introduction of the budget: Extended to March 31, 2025

• Adoption of the budget: Extended to April 30, 2025
  
  We are now well past both deadlines, and Bloomfield still hasn’t introduced a budget.

So, What’s Going On?

There has been no public explanation for the delay. If Bloomfield applied for a special exception, we haven’t been told. The Town Administrator’s statement was a vague gesture, not an update. Meanwhile, other towns—facing the same federal and state cuts—have introduced their budgets. Paterson, for example, faced the threat of state fines for its delays.

The timing here is hard to ignore: the next council meeting, when the budget is allegedly set to be introduced, will take place after the June 10 primary. One might reasonably conclude that the mayor and her slate prefer to avoid voter backlash before Election Day. But withholding the budget doesn’t avoid scrutiny — it amplifies it.

Despite a recent flurry of mayoral webinars, residents see what’s happening. We’re living with rising costs, unstable prices, and budget uncertainty. We have to plan our household finances. Why can’t we know what the tax rate will be?

Claims of “Looking for Cuts” Ring Hollow

Let’s not pretend this administration is tightening its belt. At the same meeting, the council approved:

• An ordinance increasing DPW salary ranges

• A resolution to purchase four new 2025 Ford Police Interceptors
  

Are those the actions of a town scrambling to reduce costs?

The Bottom Line

Bloomfield is once again late with its municipal budget. This isn’t just bad governance—it’s a failure of transparency and accountability. Budget deadlines exist for a reason: to protect residents, to ensure proper oversight, and to give the public time to review how their tax dollars are being spent.

The Mayor and Town Council owe residents a full, honest explanation. Silence isn't an option. But there are no options to ask any questions or hear any explanations. The Mayor and her slate will waltz instead into the primaries. Of course, people have already been voting.