Borough Of Norwood
New Jersey
April 17, 2026
Mayor James Barsa’s Week in Review
Week Ending: 4/18/26
Message from the Mayor
With this beautiful weather upon us, there’s no better time to get outside and enjoy everything our wonderful community has to offer. Whether you’re taking a stroll through our walkable downtown, spending time with family at our new playground, or getting active on the basketball and pickleball courts, there’s something here for everyone.
Our baseball and softball fields are alive with energy, and for those looking for a quieter moment, our peaceful pond area offers the perfect place to relax and recharge.
Norwood is truly a special place where neighbors connect, families thrive, and every day brings a new opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. I encourage everyone to get out, explore, and take full advantage of all that makes our town so great.
Mayor and Council Meeting
* The 2026 Municipal Budget was introduced. The public hearing will be held during the May 13th meeting.
I began the meeting by thanking Councilman Brizzolara and Chris Battaglia for their hard work and many hours working on the budget. Our Borough auditor, Mr. Wielkotz, said this has been the worst year he has experienced, relative to budgets, in all the municipalities that he works with. Norwood is one of the few towns that was able to produce a reasonable budget. Our average tax increase is the lowest he has seen of all budgets he has been involved in this year. Our ratables are stagnant, especially compared to the last few years, and even with that we were still able to keep the tax increase at a reasonable level.
One of the biggest factors of the budget increase is the cost of health insurance. Last year we were able to provide another option to our employees that would not only benefit the Borough but also the employee. The majority of the employees moved to the new plan and the Borough saw a savings. This year, we were able to bring an even better option to the town with potential savings of another $200,000.00. The new plan, and savings, would take affect August 1, 2026. I am confident most, if not all, of the employees will be changing to the high deductible plan that will bring down health insurance costs tremendously.
It was so nice to see the governing body collaborating on the budget and showing unity in approving the introduction. There will be a public hearing of the budget at the May 13th Mayor and Council meeting.
* An engineering firm has been approved for the Broad Street bridge replacement project.
* There was a unanimous vote to approve incentives for the crossing guards. We appreciate the dedication of our crossing guards, whose daily efforts help to keep our children safe as they travel to and from school.
* A bench engraving application was approved for a Norwood family. If you would like to have a personalized bench placed in town, the application can be found on the Borough website or in the Clerk’s office.
* During the improvements to the Meadow Lane drainage, an issue was discovered. The governing body voted to award a contract for the additional work. This will be paid from the capital account designated for this project.
* During Committee Reports it was noted that the reassessment is complete and anyone who would like to appeal can file an application with the Bergen County Board of Taxation.
* Our new Pierce fire truck responded to its first call.
* Longtime DPW employee Tom Quinn has retired. I thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.
*Chief Federici recognized the efforts of our two detectives, Det. Sgt. Duelfer and Det. Palazzola, on two arrests. The first involved a burglary at a self storage facility in town. After scouring surveillance videos and working with other agencies they were able to track down the suspect who is now in Suffolk County jail due to our charges. The second arrest came from our detectives working with the Bergen County Cyber Crimes Task Force. They were able to apprehend a suspect on child pornography charges. Both are first degree crimes which carry a prison sentence.
* We have formed a shared service agreement with Northvale to increase our senior bus service. The bus will soon run five days a week and will have set hours. We are currently looking to hire a part time van driver.
* We are currently accepting bids for the solid waste contract. Bids must be brought to the Clerk’s office no later than June 9th at 11am.
* During public comment two households spoke regarding the tree ordinance. We have complied with the requirement to submit a tree ordinance to the state for review and acceptance. As we have not yet heard back from the state our Borough Attorney was instructed to contact them for an update. The state has responded with comments that will be an item for discussion at our next meeting.
Week Ending: 4/18/26
Message from the Mayor
With this beautiful weather upon us, there’s no better time to get outside and enjoy everything our wonderful community has to offer. Whether you’re taking a stroll through our walkable downtown, spending time with family at our new playground, or getting active on the basketball and pickleball courts, there’s something here for everyone.
Our baseball and softball fields are alive with energy, and for those looking for a quieter moment, our peaceful pond area offers the perfect place to relax and recharge.
Norwood is truly a special place where neighbors connect, families thrive, and every day brings a new opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. I encourage everyone to get out, explore, and take full advantage of all that makes our town so great.
Mayor and Council Meeting
* The 2026 Municipal Budget was introduced. The public hearing will be held during the May 13th meeting.
I began the meeting by thanking Councilman Brizzolara and Chris Battaglia for their hard work and many hours working on the budget. Our Borough auditor, Mr. Wielkotz, said this has been the worst year he has experienced, relative to budgets, in all the municipalities that he works with. Norwood is one of the few towns that was able to produce a reasonable budget. Our average tax increase is the lowest he has seen of all budgets he has been involved in this year. Our ratables are stagnant, especially compared to the last few years, and even with that we were still able to keep the tax increase at a reasonable level.
One of the biggest factors of the budget increase is the cost of health insurance. Last year we were able to provide another option to our employees that would not only benefit the Borough but also the employee. The majority of the employees moved to the new plan and the Borough saw a savings. This year, we were able to bring an even better option to the town with potential savings of another $200,000.00. The new plan, and savings, would take affect August 1, 2026. I am confident most, if not all, of the employees will be changing to the high deductible plan that will bring down health insurance costs tremendously.
It was so nice to see the governing body collaborating on the budget and showing unity in approving the introduction. There will be a public hearing of the budget at the May 13th Mayor and Council meeting.
* An engineering firm has been approved for the Broad Street bridge replacement project.
* There was a unanimous vote to approve incentives for the crossing guards. We appreciate the dedication of our crossing guards, whose daily efforts help to keep our children safe as they travel to and from school.
* A bench engraving application was approved for a Norwood family. If you would like to have a personalized bench placed in town, the application can be found on the Borough website or in the Clerk’s office.
* During the improvements to the Meadow Lane drainage, an issue was discovered. The governing body voted to award a contract for the additional work. This will be paid from the capital account designated for this project.
* During Committee Reports it was noted that the reassessment is complete and anyone who would like to appeal can file an application with the Bergen County Board of Taxation.
* Our new Pierce fire truck responded to its first call.
* Longtime DPW employee Tom Quinn has retired. I thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.
*Chief Federici recognized the efforts of our two detectives, Det. Sgt. Duelfer and Det. Palazzola, on two arrests. The first involved a burglary at a self storage facility in town. After scouring surveillance videos and working with other agencies they were able to track down the suspect who is now in Suffolk County jail due to our charges. The second arrest came from our detectives working with the Bergen County Cyber Crimes Task Force. They were able to apprehend a suspect on child pornography charges. Both are first degree crimes which carry a prison sentence.
* We have formed a shared service agreement with Northvale to increase our senior bus service. The bus will soon run five days a week and will have set hours. We are currently looking to hire a part time van driver.
* We are currently accepting bids for the solid waste contract. Bids must be brought to the Clerk’s office no later than June 9th at 11am.
* During public comment two households spoke regarding the tree ordinance. We have complied with the requirement to submit a tree ordinance to the state for review and acceptance. As we have not yet heard back from the state our Borough Attorney was instructed to contact them for an update. The state has responded with comments that will be an item for discussion at our next meeting.