SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Board of Trustees passed two resolutions at a special meeting on Aug. 3, both memorandums of agreement with the local firefighters unions to enact a salary freeze through 2021 as a result of budget shortfalls caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both FMBA Local 40 and FMBA Local […]
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Board of Trustees passed the 2020 municipal budget at its June 8 meeting, setting into motion plans to apply to civil service for furloughs and layoffs in the South Orange Fire and Police departments after three of the unions did not accept a proposed 2-percent pay freeze over […]
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Locked in a feud with the New Jersey State Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association and the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association, the South Orange Board of Trustees and South Orange Village President Sheena Collum released a statement in response to a letter that FMBA President Edwin Donnelly and PBA President Patrick […]
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Board of Trustees introduced the 2020 budget at its virtual May 11 meeting, passing the $36,873,694.78 budget, in which municipal taxes will be raised by 2.72 percent, on first reading with a 5–0 vote. The average increase between 2011 and 2020 has been 1.8 percent, while the average […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education unanimously passed the district’s 2020–2021 budget at its virtual meeting on May 4, moving forward with planning for the next school year. The local tax levy will be raised by 2 percent with the passage of the $152,419,950 budget. Taxes make up the […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education dived into the waters of virtual meetings on April 20, when it held its first meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all nonessential businesses and gatherings. After Superintendent Ronald Taylor’s update about distance learning, each BOE committee chairperson gave a report, including […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood School District heard an audit report of the 2018-2019 school year at its Jan. 27 meeting, learning that all financial operations during the year were working effectively. The report was presented by Robert Morrison of the accounting firm Hodulik & Morrison, who has been working in […]
MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Essex County recently announced that approximately $5.4 million will be distributed to 14 Essex County municipalities and 34 community organizations through the Community Development Block Grant program and the Emergency Solutions Grant program. Maplewood received $164,840 and South Orange received $102,900. The CDBG and ESG programs are funded through […]
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — South Orange Environmental Commission Chairman Bill Haskins presented the South Orange Board of Trustees with the commission’s 2020 budget at its Dec. 9 meeting, outlining its plans for the year ahead. The commission asked the village for $10,500, which will be added to the $16,051.50 in grants it has either received […]
Collum discusses taxes, then introduces Murphy at South Orange firehouse
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy and Attorney Gen. Gurbir S. Grewal announced at a July 17 press conference at the South Orange Fire Department that New Jersey has filed a federal lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department, in an attempt to protect state taxpayers from what the Murphy […]