Full Notification

2026 Municipal Budget:

On Wednesday evening, I hosted a Town Hall with Finance Committee Chair Councilman Christoph Hesterbrink and Borough Administrator Marisa Mesropian to discuss our proposed 2026 Municipal Budget.   If you were unable to attend the Town Hall either in person or virtually, you can watch the recording HERE.

As you know from previous updates on the budget HERE, we have been working on assembling this budget since August. (And remember, the municipal portion represents roughly 30% of your total property tax bill, with the remainder going to the school district and Bergen County.)

We began earlier than usual out of necessity, given the substantial cost increases outside of our control — including healthcare, pension obligations, employee benefits, and solid waste disposal. The purpose of the Town Hall was to share where we stand and to solicit input from you, our residents and fellow taxpayers. I was pleased with the turnout and appreciate those who took the time to participate.

HERE is the presentation, which provides a clear overview of the work that went into this budget and the steps taken to minimize tax increases despite the additional expenses we must absorb.

As a result of a 37% increase in healthcare costs, electric utility increases exceeding 30%, higher pension obligations, and rising solid waste disposal costs, we are currently estimating a 6% increase in the municipal budget. I am not thrilled with a 6% increase, but it could have been significantly worse had we not taken proactive steps to manage our own spending. Absent these external cost pressures — which the Borough does not control — we likely could have delivered a meaningful tax decrease.

This projected increase was made possible only by holding the line on discretionary spending, capturing modest new revenue from added ratables, and carefully managing our surplus. In fact, we were able to transfer the $100,000 previously set aside for legal fees related to the successful Station Parkway settlement back into surplus.

As a result of the recent re-assessment, the proportion of taxes paid by residential homeowners has also decreased somewhat, while the share paid by commercial properties has increased. This shift helps ease the burden on homeowners and moves us toward a more balanced and sustainable tax base.

Snowstorm:
It’s now official.  Our last snowstorm was an all time record breaker in Leonia.

We will be talking about the Winter Storms of 2026 in Leonia for a long time.  Just when the snow from the January 25th storm was finally melting, we were inundated once again with approximately 29” over a 24 hour period beginning on Friday, February 20th.  I’ve lived in Leonia a long time and never recall anything similar.  The Blizzard of 1947 (which was before my time) recorded snowfalls in Leonia at about 27.5 inches.   I’ve read that the weather service put Leonia’s February 21-22 snowfall at 29.7 inches.  

While there was fair warning of what was to come, no one could have fully appreciated what  more than 29” of snow would actually mean.  

Leonia rose to the occasion and I could not be prouder of how our municipal services performed during these incredibly trying times.  I was in touch with many area Mayors too.  Without identifying any other communities by name let me just say Leonia fared the best in terms of readiness, coordinated storm execution and quick/effective results.  I’m proud of our entire borough team and its residents who heeded warnings to stay off the streets and, for the most part, move cars off the streets to facilitate plowing operations.  

Our DPW is truly extraordinary.  They hit the road just before the storm which you can see HERE and then worked throughout the night to keep up with the blizzard and efficiently clear our roads.  

We place a very high priority on clearing our public roads first to allow fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles access in case someone needs medical care or there is a fire or other emergency on your block.  Abiding by alternate side of the street parking even in the aftermath of a major storm also facilitates the clearance of your streets.  

HERE are some photos taken by our Police Department during the storm.  There were several medical emergencies where access by emergency vehicles was enabled because of the DPW’s earlier efforts.  Our Police (always on duty 24/7) bolstered their staffing to be ready for whatever might occur.  And the Leonia Volunteer Fire Department mobilized a duty crew of volunteers to stand by at the firehouse and wait for a possible alarm.  Fortunately, there were no fire alarms during the height of the storm, but we must always be prepared–and we were.  My thanks to all these volunteers for their selfless service.

Along these lines, if you have a fire hydrant in front of your home and there is a significant snow event, the Leonia Volunteer Fire Department (and I) would greatly appreciate it if you clear at least 1 foot of snow from around the hydrant in all directions.  God forbid we need to access the hydrant to battle a fire in your house or any of your neighbors homes and we are delayed by a hydrant buried in snow.  

We can all reflect positively on the spirit of community which prevailed throughout the storm.  Neighbors helped neighbors who might have been struggling under the circumstances.  These examples of assistance are too numerous to list but they included high school students from my Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee shoveling out some elderly Leonians who are unable to do the work themselves and other neighbors performing similar good deeds in support of one another.  It makes me proud to be a Leonian.  We know we can count on each other during trying times and that is truly reassuring.  

Re-assessment update:

All Leonia taxpayers should have received their “Value Letter” from Appraisal Systems, Inc. the independent organization hired by the Borough of Leonia to fulfill our legal obligation for our once a decade required re-assessment.  This “Value Letter” indicated the newly assessed values for your property (both land and building).  You can read all about it HERE in my previous message to all homeowners which includes the steps you need to follow if you believe the value assigned to your property is not a true reflection of the current value. 

Shade Tree Update:

With all the recent snow, it may be easy to forget about our greenery — and specifically, our tree canopy here in Leonia. Our tree-lined streets provide shade, cleaner air, and critical water absorption — increasingly important given the development that surrounds us. All of these benefits factor directly into our property values and build on our green legacy.

Leonia is, in many ways, the closest truly “green oasis” to Manhattan. People are willing to pay a premium for that distinction — especially when it is combined with quiet streets, excellent public schools, and strong municipal services. Our steadily rising property values reflect exactly that. I don’t expect this to change — unless we fail to maintain any one of these distinguishing characteristics.

So let’s talk about trees.

Spring planting — hard to imagine after the winter we are enduring — is just around the corner. 2026 marks the 37th consecutive year that Leonia has been designated a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Foundation. In addition, we have earned our 10th consecutive Tree Growth Award, recognizing our sustained investment in replacing trees that have been removed and strengthening the diversity of our canopy.

This spring, we plan to plant approximately 35 new trees throughout town. These will be mostly located in the borough right-of-way between the curb and sidewalk in front of homes, or on private property if the homeowner prefers.

If you would like a tree planted on your property at no cost, please visit the Borough website and review the Shade Tree Commission’s Private Property Planting Program (you can’t say we aren’t fond of alliteration). HERE is the link with details. I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity while it remains available.

Our continued diligence in preserving, maintaining, and diversifying our shade trees is one of the defining characteristics that makes Leonia special. My thanks to our Shade Tree Commissioners for their volunteer service — and in particular to co-chairs Imanta Bergmanis and Christine Healy, whom I was pleased to reappoint in January. They are doing outstanding work on behalf of our community.

Thank you, Imanta and Christine!

Developer Fees:

I’ve always believed that no one should have to reinvent the wheel. There are best practices out there, and Leonia benefits when we learn from the experiences of other communities.

For that reason, I’ve invested significant time building strong working relationships with fellow Mayors in our area, as well as with our County Executive. There is a great deal to learn from these leaders who are navigating similar challenges.

Most often, these conversations highlight innovative ideas or approaches worth considering. Occasionally, however, they reveal an opportunity for improvement — something other towns have been doing that we, for one reason or another, had not yet implemented.

While having lunch with Tenafly Mayor Mark Zinna, we were discussing affordable housing — not surprisingly, a topic on every mayor’s mind. He mentioned that Tenafly was purchasing a tract of land for more than $1 million to help meet its affordable housing obligations. I asked how they were financing the purchase and whether bonding would be required.

He explained that Tenafly had sufficient funds set aside in its Developer Fee Trust Fund. By state statute, municipalities in New Jersey are permitted to collect developer fees when certain projects move forward. Tenafly has been doing so since the law (The New Jersey non-Residential Development Fee passed on July 17, 2008) went into effect almost twenty years ago.

Unfortunately, Leonia had not historically utilized this mechanism to its fullest extent. That meant we missed opportunities to build up this dedicated funding source over time.  

The good news is that, with the full endorsement of the governing body, we will now actively collect the maximum allowable developer fees.  During the last two years, we have not had any non-residential or exclusionary residential projects to collect fees from.  While we cannot retroactively apply fees to earlier projects, we have put the proper processes in place going forward to ensure Leonia takes full advantage of this tool.  Note: The developer fee for non-residential development is 2.5% of the project cost.  Exclusionary fees (meaning no Affordable Housing units) are 1.5% of project cost for residential projects.  

If there is a lesson here, it is simply this: local government details matter. Staying current, asking questions, learning from others, and making adjustments when needed are all part of responsible governance. That ongoing diligence helps protect Leonia’s taxpayer interests — both today and for the long term.   To this point, we are now projecting over $1 million in fees from developers to be used to facilitate affordable housing in Leonia for the 10 year period from 2026 to 2035.  

These funds will be set aside specifically to help meet our affordable housing obligations. Every dollar collected in this manner is a dollar that does not have to come directly from property taxes.

Land Lease Agreement with Teaneck:

As I’ve written previously HERE, we have been in discussions with Teaneck regarding a lease of the land currently occupied by Downes Tree Service, located just north of our DPW building in the northernmost section of Overpeck North (accessible only through the park entrance).

The parameters of this negotiated deal are now agreed upon. Leonia will lease this property to Teaneck for $286,000 per year — a significant increase from the $125,000 per year currently paid by Downes and up from $0 when I joined the Council in 2016. Back then I realized we should be collecting a substantial fee and, with the then Mayor’s support, we began charging an annual fee. The new lease will also include an annual cost-of-living adjustment of no less than 3%, tied to CPI.

This represents a substantial and guaranteed increase in revenue for Leonia and a very good deal for both municipalities.

Teaneck is seeking a new location for its DPW facility, as its current building has reached the end of its useful life and their current site is highly desirable for other purposes. By constructing and locating their DPW adjacent to ours in Overpeck North, Teaneck is able to relocate to a more suitable facility while unlocking the redevelopment value of its current property. At the same time, the proximity of our two DPW operations creates opportunities for practical cooperation while maintaining full operational independence for Leonia’s DPW. For example, we would have access to borrow equipment from Teaneck when needed — including their Jet Vac sewer truck, which alone costs approximately $600,000 to purchase — and we could similarly make available equipment that we own which they may not. These kinds of shared resources create meaningful economies of scale and tangible savings for taxpayers in both communities.

The proposed lease term is 50 years, with a 45-year opt-out clause. Given the capital investment required to construct a DPW facility, a long-term lease structure is both reasonable and consistent with the useful life of such a building.

Bergen County has fully endorsed this initiative, particularly because it promotes inter-municipal cooperation and equipment sharing — something the County strongly encourages.

For those concerned about truck traffic: as was the case with Downes, Teaneck’s vehicles will enter and exit from Fort Lee Road through the park entrance and head directly to and from Teaneck. We do not anticipate additional truck traffic circulating through Leonia neighborhoods.

Let me say plainly: the additional lease revenue from this arrangement will be meaningful and will help us hold the line on taxes. This is the type of creative, cooperative solution that strengthens our financial position while maintaining the services our residents expect.

Bogota Court Update:

I should provide an update on our discussions with Bogota regarding a potential shared municipal court arrangement. My hope has been that Bogota would, in exchange for an annual fee, take advantage of our new courtroom facility by leasing space here in Leonia and utilizing our existing court staff for their municipal court needs.

From a practical standpoint, the arrangement appears to make sense.  Leonia’s court facility is closer than the location Bogota currently uses (which they lease outside of Bogota), our courtroom is a modern facility designed specifically for this purpose, and the overall cost would likely be somewhat less than what they are currently paying. In other words, it has the potential to be a better, faster, and more cost-effective solution for them.

At the moment, however, progress has been slower than hoped. The discussions have primarily been taking place through the Bogota Mayor, and it appears that additional coordination with the Bogota Council will likely be necessary before anything can move forward.

In an effort to keep the conversation moving, I will be reaching out to the Bogota Council President to see if we can help advance the discussion from that direction as well. Shared service opportunities like this can benefit both communities, and I remain hopeful that we may be able to find a path forward.

As always, I will keep you advised as things develop.

DOT’s “Safe Streets and Roads for All” Grant Received:

Thanks to the hard work and perseverance of former Councilman Scott Fisher and members of the Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Committee including George Giaquinto, Leonia has received a sizable $68,000 grant from the federal government  to help us overcome the “Waze Effect”.  With this money we will be creating, in partnership with the Department of Transportation a vision zero safety plan including a corridor study and road safety audits.  

The project focuses on improving roadway safety through targeted planning activities.  It aims to identify safety measures that can mitigate the problems caused by high volumes of re-routed GWB traffic going through our borough.  We will first quantify the extent of the problem with various data collection efforts and a community survey.

The data collected will help Leonia quantify vehicle traffic and usage on our roads which, in turn, will help us identify the right resources and tools to employ in mitigating the same.   

The Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Committee under co-Chairs Mike Gobbo and JP Hilton will set up a Data Subcommittee which will be on point to lead the data collection efforts and take full advantage of the grant we have received.  I am pleased to report that Scott Fisher has agreed to Chair this important subcommittee.  

This is a good, positive development for Leonia.  I eagerly anticipate the data which will be collected, what the data tells us and the next steps we need to take to make Leonia as safe as possible given the heavy GWB traffic we frequently see.  

We are currently actively seeking Leonia volunteers for this committee.  We are looking for skills in data analysis and visualization (or a desire to learn them!).  Skills in public policy planning would also be useful. Initially much of the work will focus on data collection, analysis and visualization, but roughly 18 months from now we'll transition to creating an action plan (a specific type of plan with specific requirements set out by DOT). Then we'll need those with public planning skills. 

Anyone interested in serving on this subcommittee, please drop me a line at [email protected].

Veolia Water Lead Service Line Assessment Update:

We recently met with representatives from Veolia regarding the next phase of their lead service line identification and replacement program in Leonia.

To date, Veolia has been conducting testing and replacements as part of their Road Program. They are now moving into what is known as the “Targeted Program.” Veolia has identified approximately 400 addresses in their inventory that may have lead service lines. HERE is a list of those addresses so you can check whether your property is included.

Over the next 90 days, Veolia crews will conduct test pits at the curb box to determine whether lead pipes are present. Importantly, this initial phase will not involve roadway excavation. The work will take place on the resident’s side of the curb. Small openings will be created to access the line and will be temporarily filled with direct backfill at the curb or stone composite in the street before being permanently restored later.

If testing confirms that a home’s service line is lead, Veolia will notify the homeowner in writing and offer replacement at no cost, provided the homeowner opts in by signing the required consent form.

Here is how the replacement process will work:

• If both the resident’s service line and the utility’s street-side line are lead, the work will be addressed later this year as part of a coordinated, programmatic replacement effort.

• If the resident’s service line is lead but Veolia’s street-side line is not, replacement can proceed immediately once the homeowner opts in.

Veolia has indicated that historically about 65% of homeowners opt in, while roughly 35% do not respond. I strongly encourage residents to review any correspondence they receive from Veolia and respond promptly so that any necessary replacements can move forward.

Veolia expects to complete this 90-day assessment by late May, after which they will present their findings to the Borough along with a detailed replacement plan.

We also made it clear to Veolia that clear and proactive communication with residents is essential. They will be providing materials that we will distribute through Nixle and the Borough website so homeowners understand what to expect.

Work has already begun on Lakeview Avenue, and crews will move south across the Borough from there. Encouragingly, the clear majority of pipes tested so far have not been lead, which is good news and should minimize sidewalk and curb disruptions associated with pipe replacements.

Ensuring the safety and integrity of our water infrastructure is critically important, and we will continue to keep you informed as this work progresses.

Safety and Security:

Recent events in the Middle East affect Leonia too.  The Leonia Police Department has received multiple intelligence briefings from the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center.  Our Police Chief and others have joined virtual briefings that have included the NJ Acting Attorney General, New Jersey State Police Acting Superintendent, FBI Special Agent in Charge and hundreds of other law enforcement officers.  

There are no known threats to NJ at this time; however, we are increasing our presence around houses of worship in town.

Throughout this situation, Leonia will remain vigilant and up to date.  We ask for the public’s cooperation.  If you see something suspicious or unusual, please contact our Police Department.  Let them investigate any situation you’re concerned about and determine if further action is needed.

Our world is moving at a dizzying pace and we all have a responsibility to keep our community safe.  

The NJ Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) assesses with high confidence that the current military escalation will drive a significant increase in cyber threat activity targeting US organizations, including those in NJ.  

Please be assured, Leonia is taking all precautions to continue to keep our official Borough network system integrity intact.  

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Thank you for your time and attention to these monthly Leonia updates which are now being read by more than 3,000 each month.  Informed participation in your civic affairs is encouraged and these updates provide you with the context and background information to intelligently contribute to ongoing dialogues about the issues affecting our town.

Kind regards,

Bill Ziegler

Leonia Mayor