Police department renovation set for winter, backed by $1.1M grant
The 2026 budget includes a required down payment for renovations to the Wyckoff police department facility. The project is supported by a $1.1 million congressional appropriation, which officials said significantly reduces the local burden.
Fallen Firefighter Dana Hannon remembered at meeting
A National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Day proclamation honored firefighters who died in the line of duty, with particular recognition of Dana Hannon — a Wyckoff volunteer who gave his life on September 11, 2001. The committee observed a moment of silence.
Lacrosse wall at Pulis Field complete
The new lacrosse practice wall at Pulis Field has been substantially completed. The $195,000 project was funded through an $85,000 Bergen County open space grant and approximately $85,000 in private community donations, with the remainder from township open space funds.
Gardens of Wyckoff certified as National Wildlife Habitat
The township's Gardens of Wyckoff has been officially certified as a National Wildlife Federation wildlife habitat site. A commemorative plaque will be mounted on a rock face within the park.
Wyckoff earns platinum safety certification from county JIF
The Bergen County Joint Insurance Fund awarded Wyckoff its platinum level safety certification for 2026, recognizing the township's strong workplace safety record across all departments.
Government
WYCKOFF ADOPTS BUDGET WITH $253 TAX INCREASE, DRIVEN BY HEALTH COSTS
The 2026 municipal budget was approved unanimously, with the average homeowner facing a $253 annual increase — nearly all of it attributable to a 36 percent spike in state health benefit costs.
After months of negotiations with department heads and employee bargaining units, Wyckoff's Township Committee adopted its 2026 municipal budget Tuesday evening, delivering an average tax increase of $253 per residential property[1] — the product of health benefit costs that spiraled beyond local control.
'This budget reflects the reality of significant cost pressures largely outside of the town's control,' said Committeeman May Bogdansky, who chairs the finance committee alongside Committeeman Peter Melchione. 'Specifically, a 36 percent rise in state health costs.'
To blunt that increase, the township negotiated a transition with all employee bargaining units to a high-deductible health plan[2] with a health reimbursement arrangement — a shift officials said reduced the projected premium increase by approximately 50 percent while preserving comparable coverage for workers.
The $253 figure represents the municipal portion only. That slice accounts for 16.5 percent of the total property tax bill, with the school district and county comprising the remainder. 'Any increase matters to our residents,' Bogdansky acknowledged, 'and we worked to keep this as disciplined as possible.'
The budget continues a $700,000 annual road paving program, supplemented by grant funding. It also includes a down payment for renovations to the police department facility — a project supported by a $1.1 million congressional appropriation secured through Congressman Josh Gottheimer's office. Capital spending covers replacement police vehicles, new firefighter gear, communications equipment, and infrastructure repairs across departments.
The evening opened with two proclamations. Mayor Lane read a recognition of National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Day, pausing for a moment of silence[3] to honor firefighters who died in the line of duty — including Wyckoff's own Dana Hannon, a member of the volunteer fire department who perished on September 11, 2001.[4] A second proclamation recognized the National Day of Prayer, and Mayor Lane announced an interfaith prayer service on the Town Hall front lawn Thursday at noon.
The committee also adopted six ordinances from the April package: field and vehicle capital appropriations, a $925,000 bond ordinance funding the annual road program and a new DPW truck, filming permit cleanups, and the short-term rental extension raising the minimum from 31 to 91 days.
Committeeman Rudolph Boonstra delivered a somber note, announcing the deaths of two longtime residents: Jim Abma Sr., a third-generation farmer whose family's roots in Wyckoff stretch back more than 100 years, and Jerry Yettick, 94, a frequent presence at township meetings for nearly two decades. 'Wyckoff is poorer for having lost him,' Boonstra said of Abma.