Fiscal Responsibility & Community Investment

Overview

The primary goal of the North Caldwell Town Council is to enhance the quality of life for residents. This includes maintaining public safety, infrastructure, and shared community spaces while improving overall well-being. These responsibilities are essential—and increasingly costly.

Challenge

Rising costs are a reality. Insurance premiums, healthcare expenses, and the costs of goods and services for the Borough continue to rise each year. Despite these pressures, North Caldwell has fulfilled its obligations and improved the community—all with prudent fiscal management.

Achievements Under Current Democratic Leadership

Under the financial leadership of Steve Weinstein, North Caldwell limited municipal tax increases to just 0% in 2023, 2.79% in 2024, and 1.98% in 2025. As you can see from the chart below, these increases are lower than local and national increases.

During this period, the borough also addressed many critical needs, including:

• Public Safety: Hired additional police officers, modernized equipment, purchased new vehicles, installed a traffic light at Gould School, and implemented automated license plate readers.

• Parks and Recreation: Renovated Walker Park, replaced aging tennis and basketball courts, and added new pickleball courts.

• Infrastructure: Repaired the pool foundation, updated aging water mains, repaved deteriorating roads, and replaced outdated maintenance equipment.

• Fire and Emergency Services: Upgraded and replaced essential equipment to meet safety standards.

Smart Financial Strategy

Despite increased costs of health premiums and union salary obligations, the Borough:

• Paid off short-term loans in favor of long-term, lower-interest-rate bonds.

• Reduced outstanding debt by over $1 million.

• Benefited from revenue through shared services, investment income, and negotiated contributions from the Green Brook project.

• Spread debt obligations responsibly to preserve long-term financial health.

Looking Ahead

North Caldwell has made substantial and meaningful improvements to safety, services, and infrastructure without sacrificing fiscal responsibility. But the work is not finished. Continued thoughtful leadership will ensure the Borough remains safe, vibrant, and financially sound for years to come.

Conclusion

We take pride in our accomplishments and are committed to building on that success. With your support, PrioritizeNC will continue its efforts to make North Caldwell an even better place to live.