Council OKs 2025 budget with 2.5% hike

The Township Council unanimously approved a 2025 municipal budget of about $31.6 million, up 2.5 percent from a year earlier, at its meeting Tuesday, June 24.

Township manager James Zepp said the increase of $756,775 is the result of higher costs for insurance; contractual salaries and wages; statutory obligations, such as pensions and Social Security; and the township’s reserve fund for uncollected taxes.

”These appropriations are essential to maintaining the services our residents rely on every day,” he said.

The municipal tax rate will increase to 0.617 in 2025 from 0.596 a year earlier. The owner of the average Sparta home, assessed at $372,200, will pay $82.26 more this year than in 2024.

”Last year, I shared concerns about our past reliance on the township’s fund surplus to cover operational increases without raising taxes for six consecutive years,” Zepp said. “This approach, while helpful in the short term, is not sustainable.”

The tax increase this year will strengthen the township’s finances and rebuild a healthier fund balance, he said.

Chief finance officer Dawn Krumpfer said she asked that the township’s auditor prepare the annual financial statement this year.

“This ensures that the numbers in our budget are accurate and based on verified revenues and expenditures from the previous year,” Zepp said.

In answer to a question, Krumpfer said she expects the surplus in the fund balance will be about $750,000 under the 2025 budget. “Am I nervous about it? No. I think we’ll be fine.”

Mayor Neill Clark pointed out that Sparta’s bond rating has not been hurt by the drawdown of the surplus in recent years.

Krumpfer said budgeted amounts for legal services were increased slightly from what was spent in 2024.

She said money that was transferred recently from the senior citizens program was revenue raised through fees for line dancing and water aerobics.

The Recreation Department also had excess money that was transferred with the recreation director’s approval, she added.

Proposed improvements

The council also introduced proposed ordinances:

• To appropriate about $2.1 million from the general capital improvement fund for various capital improvements, including $750,000 for road improvements and stormwater infrastructure, $450,000 for a replacement street sweeper, $400,000 for parks equipment and projects, $100,000 for Fire Department equipment and turnout gear, and $250,000 for replacement police vehicles.

• To appropriate $425,000 from the water capital improvement fund for various water capital improvements, including renovation of water tanks and the purchase of replacement parts and chemical feed pumps and filtration systems.

• To reappropriate $156,964 left from the Germany Flats garage improvement for water-main replacement.

The council unanimously approved an ordinance to place on the Nov. 4 ballot a nonbinding public question on whether to permit retail cannabis sales in Sparta.

Council members approved resolutions:

• Endorsing the Fourth Round Housing Element and Fair Share Plan approved by the Planning Board for Sparta’s affordable-housing obligation.

• Establishing a temporary arrangement between Sparta and Hardyston designating the Hardyston Township Fire Prevention Bureau as the local enforcing agency until the adoption of a shared-services agreement. The arrangement was needed after Sparta’s fire marshal resigned, Zepp said.

Planning Board replacement

Clark said he was replacing Robert Bleakley as the mayor’s designee on the Planning Board with Birgit Bogler, who has covered Planning Board and town council meetings for the Warwick Advertiser newspaper for four years.

”Ms. Bogler’s qualifications I think would make her very well-suited for the position,” he said.

Clark noted that Bleakley had missed the past two board meetings. He did not give other reasons for the change.

Councilman Mark Scott called Bleakley, whose term expires at the end of this year, “one of the hardest-working men on the Planning Board.”

In answer to a question, Clark said officials plan to interview the last two applicants for the open council seat by mid-July.

Eleven people applied to replace Dan Chiariello, who resigned from the council in April. That number has been reduced to six, the mayor said.

Councilman Dean Blumetti reported that plans to hold the 2026 Sparta Institute conference and sister cities celebration in Sparta, N.J., have changed.

The 2025 conference has been canceled, and the 2026 one now will be combined with the Academy of Athens’ 100th anniversary event. The Greek government also is reconsidering hosting annual events in other countries, he said.

However, there are plans to connect all the towns named Sparta worldwide; no details were available.

Honoring Vietnam veteran

At the beginning of the meeting, the council honored the late John Ricker, who served two tours in Vietnam and received three Purple Hearts and six Bronze Stars for Valor among other medals.

In 1972, he and his wife, Patty, moved to Sparta, where he was active in the Kiwanis Club, Little League, United Way and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

”We, along with all citizens of Sparta, bestow their gratitude to John Clifford Ricker, thanking him for his service and his steadfast dedication to his country where he exemplified courage, integrity and devotion, which will always be remembered,” according to a proclamation read by the mayor.

Ricker died Feb. 17. He was 81.

Clark urged residents to take time to talk to veterans. “On Memorial Day, ask them who they’re thinking about, who they remember and listen to their stories. Because in those stories, you will find such courage, such valor, such humility - things that we just don’t see and hear about a lot today.”