Meeting record

Municipal Council, August 26, 2026

Body: Municipal Council
Date: August 26, 2026 (special meeting)
Video: city recording, 2h 7m
Called to order: 0:00:00 (5:04 p.m.)
Adjourned: 2:06:59 (7:11 p.m.)
Agenda: CivicWeb
Minutes: CivicWeb, fetched 2026-10-17
Votes: 3 confirmed

Attendance

Denise Ridley: present
Eleana Little: arrived 0:04:20 (5:08 p.m.)
Frank E. Gilmore: present
Jake Ephros: present
Joel A. Brooks: present
Mamta Singh: present
Michael O. Griffin: present^‡ (from the count announced at 0:00:52; no answer heard)
Rolando R. Lavarro, Jr.: arrived 0:05:01 (5:09 p.m.)
Thomas Zuppa, Jr.: arrived 0:29:36 (5:19 p.m.)

Items

hearing-budget-amendment hearing

Public Hearing on the Amendment of the CY 2026 Municipal Budget

0:03:00 to 0:50:25 · Approved

9-0 9 ayes, 0 nays, roll call at 0:48:50

Moved by Frank E. Gilmore, seconded by Denise Ridley

Aye: Denise Ridley, Eleana Little, Frank E. Gilmore, Jake Ephros, Joel A. Brooks, Mamta Singh, Michael O. Griffin, Rolando R. Lavarro, Jr., Thomas Zuppa, Jr.

Motion to close the public hearing on the calendar year 2026 municipal budget amendment, made by Gilmore, seconded by Council President Ridley (0:49:04 to 0:49:11, word timing). The roll call rests on the re-transcription without VAD of 0:48:45 to 0:50:00 (_live/council-2026-08-26.2925-3000.transcript), which hears every answer: Brooks asked for the question again and answered 'Aye' (0:49:30, p 0.90); Zuppa 'Aye' (0:49:33, p 1.00); Ephros 'Aye' (0:49:36, p 1.00); Little, Gilmore, Singh 'Aye' (0:49:38 to 0:49:43, p 1.00); Griffin 'Aye' (0:49:44, p 0.99); Lavarro 'Aye' (0:49:47, p 0.93); Council President Ridley 'Aye' (0:49:50, p 1.00). The full pass heard no answer for Zuppa or Griffin and Ephros's 'Aye' at p 0.02. Clerk: 'Motion carries 9-0 to close the public hearing' (0:49:51).

0:35:38 Unidentified: A member asked the administration when the user-friendly version of the budget would be available.
0:50:01 Unidentified: A member said the public hearing is for the council to hear from the public and is not a question-and-answer session.

The clerk announced the public hearing on the amendment of the calendar year 2026 municipal budget (0:03:00) and read the amendment resolution adopted on August 19 into the record in full, as state law requires (0:03:29 to 0:28:59). The hearing opened at 0:29:10; members of the public spoke from 0:29:56 to 0:48:35. Speakers are not listed here; the minutes name six. The council moved to close the hearing at 0:48:50.

5 public comment

Public request for hearing

0:50:53 to 1:06:24 · Heard

1:03:28 Staff: Answering a public speaker's questions, said the amendments slightly reduced the reserves for accumulated absences and bargaining to offset $16 million in health benefits moved inside the cap, and that the $120 million state loan and grant fund the budget as a whole.

Public request for hearing (minutes items 5.1 to 5.7); the clerk called speakers by number and first name from 0:50:53. Speakers are not listed here; the minutes name them. The clerk said 'That will conclude the public hearing requests' (1:02:44 segment). A speaker addressed only as 'Bill' was then asked to answer two questions a public speaker had raised in the budget hearing; the answer ran from 1:03:28 to 1:06:12.

10.1 Res. 26-535 resolution

Resolution Authorizing Additional Amendments to the Calendar Year 2026 Municipal Budget

1:06:45 to 1:30:00 · Approved · document

9-0 9 ayes, 0 nays, roll call at 1:28:10

Aye: Denise Ridley, Eleana Little, Frank E. Gilmore, Jake Ephros, Joel A. Brooks, Mamta Singh, Michael O. Griffin^†, Rolando R. Lavarro, Jr., Thomas Zuppa, Jr.
† answer from the written minutes and the item's vote record; not heard clearly on the audio

Members asked to vote on 10.1 and 10.2 individually (1:28:09). Roll call from 'Councilperson Brooks.' (1:28:30, word timing): Brooks 'I vote aye' (1:29:28, p 0.96); Zuppa 'I vote aye' (1:29:37, p 0.87); Ephros 'Aye' (1:29:42, p 0.99 in the full pass, 0.08 in the re-transcription of 1:29:40 to 1:30:10); Little, Gilmore 'Aye' (1:29:45, 1:29:47, p 1.00); Singh 'Aye' (1:29:50, p 1.00); Griffin is called (1:29:51) and no answer is heard before the call of Lavarro (1:29:55), in the full pass or in either re-transcription; Lavarro 'Aye' (1:29:57, p 1.00); Council President Ridley 'Aye' (1:30:00, p 1.00). Griffin's answer is taken from the minutes and the resolution's vote table. Clerk: 'City Resolution 26-535 is approved unanimously 9-0' (1:30:00). No motion or second is heard on the video.

1:22:22 Unidentified: A member asked the administration to explain the additional amendments, which members had seen earlier that day.
1:22:38 Staff: A speaker addressed as Chief Financial Officer said the Department of Community Affairs examiners found that a 2019 tax overpayment receivable had to be appropriated in one year, offset inside the cap, and that a second change detailed one deferred charge across several lines.
1:25:29 Unidentified: A member asked whether moving money from reserve accounts to cover the payment put those reserves at risk; a speaker said the amount came from three reserve accounts, none reduced by more than 10% of a line item.
1:26:38 Unidentified: A member asked whether passing the Department of Community Affairs' changes was mandatory; a speaker said the 2019 overpayment appropriation was a statutory requirement that multiple audits had flagged.

The clerk said there were no petitions and communications, officer communications, reports of directors or claims on the special meeting (1:06:27), read the titles of 10.1 and 10.2 (1:06:45) and read the 10.1 amendment resolution into the record in full (1:07:27 to 1:21:44). The clerk said the state had given permission to proceed without a public hearing on this amendment and asked the Chief Financial Officer to confirm (1:21:50); a speaker answered 'Yes, Clerk, that's correct' (1:22:19). Minutes items 11.1 (Ord. 26-016), 11.2 (Ord. 26-050) and 11.3 (Ord. 26-052), the deferred or tabled agenda, were not taken up on the video and are not recorded as items.

10.2 Res. 26-536 resolution

Resolution to Adopt the Calendar Year 2026 Municipal Budget As Amended

1:30:00 to 2:05:58 · Approved · document

8-0-1 8 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention, roll call at 1:30:00

Aye: Denise Ridley, Eleana Little, Frank E. Gilmore, Jake Ephros, Joel A. Brooks, Mamta Singh, Rolando R. Lavarro, Jr., Thomas Zuppa, Jr.
Abstain: Michael O. Griffin

Roll call from 'Councilperson Brooks' (1:30:23, word timing); each member spoke before answering. Answers: Brooks 'I vote aye' (1:33:05, p 0.92); Zuppa 'I vote aye' (1:37:00, p 0.91); Ephros 'So I vote aye' (1:40:55, p 0.82); Little 'I vote aye' (1:44:33, p 0.98); Gilmore 'I vote I on this budget' (1:47:16), then, asked 'And your vote?' by the clerk, 'Vote aye, Sean' (1:48:08, p 0.83); Singh, called twice (1:48:11, 1:48:20), 'I vote yes' (1:52:20, p 1.00); Griffin 'I'm going to have to abstain from this vote' (1:54:39, p 1.00); Lavarro 'I vote yes' (2:01:52, p 1.00); Council President Ridley 'I vote aye' (2:05:58, p 0.95). Clerk: 'City resolution is approved 8-0-1 with Councilperson Griffin, abstaining' (2:05:58). No motion or second is heard on the video.

1:30:34 Joel A. Brooks: Spoke on what the budget does not do (street repair, left to the capital budget; taxing high incomes, preempted by state law) and what it funds: public safety, right to counsel, restored provisional employees and debt consolidated at a lower interest rate.
1:41:17 Eleana Little: Said the Division of Local Government Services set 15% as the minimum increase it would approve, and that the amendments lowered the increase from 15.5% to 15.15%, moved $200,000 out of police overtime and raised right to counsel funding by 50%.
1:52:36 Michael O. Griffin: Spoke on a meeting that day with the Department of Community Affairs on relief for homeowners, and said the $105 million loan and $15 million grant hold off a 30% tax increase, before stating the abstention (see quotes).
1:54:50 Rolando R. Lavarro, Jr.: Said they were voting yes to stay at the table with colleagues, the administration and the Division of Local Government Services, that their proposed revenue increases reduced the tax increase by 0.35%, and called for a fund balance policy and a council finance committee.
2:04:04 Denise Ridley: Spoke on next steps: a resolution forming a council finance committee on the next agenda, legislation on the use of fund balance and surplus, and asking the state for changes to the loan terms and a resource fair.

But with that being said, you know, and where I come from and the people I grew up with and I know who this affects, I'm going to have to abstain from this vote
Michael O. Griffin, 1:54:25

The clerk read the title of 10.2 at 1:30:00 and called the roll. Other explanations of vote, not summarised (at most five discussion entries per item): Zuppa 1:33:09, Ephros 1:37:08, Gilmore 1:44:40, Singh 1:48:21.

motion-adjourn motion

Motion to adjourn

2:06:42 to 2:06:59 · Approved

Voice vote, no roll call at 2:06:59

Moved by Frank E. Gilmore, seconded by Michael O. Griffin

No member's answer is recorded for a voice vote.

Motion to adjourn at 7:11 p.m. by Gilmore, seconded by Griffin (clerk, 2:06:50); approved by acclamation ('all council members present by acclamation. Please say aye. Aye.', 2:06:59), no roll call, so no by-member vote is recorded. Clerk: 'We are out of here at 7 11 PM' (2:06:59 segment).

Record drafted 2026-10-17, checked 2026-10-17, reviewed by Adam Hanford 2026-10-18.