The Jackson Township Council adopted a $62.95 million municipal budget on Tuesday night, approving a spending plan that holds the local tax rate flat for a second straight year. Four of the council’s five members voted in favor. Councilman Christopher Pollak abstained.
Council President Mordechai Burnstein, Council Vice President Giuseppe Palmeri, Councilman Nino Borrelli, and Councilman Ken Bressi voted yes on Resolution 177-2026, which formally adopts the budget following a public hearing at Township Hall. Palmeri made the motion and Burnstein seconded it. The plan passed without a dissenting vote.
The budget keeps the municipal tax rate at 0.254 per $100 of assessed value, unchanged from 2025. The administration of Mayor Jennifer Kuhn says the plan maintains services and expands several, including more frequent bulk and recycling pickups, faster snow removal, continued investment in parks, and a police force at a record 120 officers. It is supported in part by $9.4 million in anticipated surplus, with about $36.6 million to be raised through municipal taxation.
Pollak’s abstention was the only break in an otherwise unanimous vote, and it came after months of public opposition from the councilman. He voted against the budget at its introduction in the spring.
An abstention is recorded as neither support nor opposition. Although Pollak had opposed the budget at earlier stages and had several weeks to review the amended version made public in late May, he did not vote for or against its final adoption, and has made no suggestions about how it could be improved.
