The Borough Administrator is nominated by the Mayor and appointed with the advice and consent of the Council.  The Borough Administrator shall be the chief administrative officer of the Borough of Waldwick, and be responsible to the Mayor and Council for the proper and efficient administration of the business affairs of the Borough.  The Borough Administrator administers personnel regulations, works on the budget with the CFO, functions as purchasing agent, handles citizen inquires, and performs other such administrative duties and special projects in connection with the Mayor and Council.

Perform the core duties of the Municipal Clerk as defined in N.J.S.A. 40A:9-133, while at all times working in the present, thinking in the future, maintaining high ethical standards and remaining impartial and apolitical in dealing with public officials and citizens.

Act as the Secretary to the Municipal Corporation and custodian of the municipal seal and of all minutes, books, deeds, bonds, contracts, and archival records of the municipal corporation.

Act as Secretary to the Governing Body, prepare meeting agendas at the discretion of the governing body, be present at all meetings of the governing body, keep a journal of proceedings of every meeting, retain the original copies of all ordinances and resolutions, and record the minutes of every meeting.

Serve as the Chief Administrative Officer in all elections held in the municipality, subject to the requirements of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes.

Serve as the Chief Registrar of Voters in the municipality, subject to the requirements of Title 19 of the Revised Statutes.

Serve as the Administrative Officer responsible for the acceptance of applications for licenses and permits and the issuance of licenses and permits, except where statute or municipal ordinance has delegated that responsibility to some other municipal officer.

Serve as Coordinator and Records Manager responsible for implementing local archives and records retention programs as mandated pursuant to Title 47 of the Revised Statutes as well as accepting requests for government records under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA).

Perform such other duties as are now or hereafter imposed by statute, regulation or by municipal ordinance or regulation.

The Budget & Finance Department, managed by the Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for the financial operations and affairs of the Township. Responsibilities include:

• Short Term and Long Term Budgeting and Financial Planning
• Financial Controls and Protection of Borough Assets
• Debt Management and Planning
• Accounting
• Purchasing
• Payroll
• Property Tax / Sewer Billing and Collection
• Water Utility Billing and Collection

The Building Department includes administration and enforcement of zoning, building and other codes as well as property maintenance. Within the Building Department, the Waldwick Construction Official enforces the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code (UCC).

Certificate of Compliance Inspection (COC)  - State law requires an inspection of the smoke alarm(s), carbon monoxide alarm(s) and portable fire extinguisher(s) before the sale, transfer or rental of residential property can occur (N.J.A.C. 5:70-4.19).

When Do I Need a Permit?

Fire Prevention Bureau

Construction Permit Forms

Block/Lot finder - enter address in "Property location" box and click "Search"

Inspection Schedules

Tree Removal & Replacement Permit Application

Zoning Map

Zoning Permit Application-Non-Residentially Used or Zoned Properties

FAQs

The Waldwick Fire Prevention Bureau performs annual fire inspections of all commercial occupancies and multiple family dwellings.  Please contact James O’Connell, 201-652-5300 x249 or joconnell@waldwicknj.gov for more information.  

The Waldwick Fire Prevention Bureau conducts fire safety educational programs for elementary school children and seniors throughout the Borough of Waldwick. Additionally, the Fire Prevention Bureau is responsible for investigating the origin and cause of all fire and explosions within the Borough of Waldwick.  Please contact us at any time for further assistance.

In the event of a fire related emergency, dial 9-1-1 for immediate assistance.

Resources

Thomas A. Giordano

Title: Mayor
Term Expires 12/31/2027

Email: tgiordano@waldwicknj.gov
Phone: 201-652-5300 ext. 231

Chamber of Commerce Liaison

Environmental Advisory Committee & Green Team Liaison

Andrew Brennecke

Title: Councilman

Term Expires: 12/31/2026

Email: abrennecke@waldwicknj.gov

Chair - Fire & Police Protection Committee
Member - Public Safety Committee (Ambulance Corps)
Member - Public Works Committee
Emergency “911” Coordinator/OEM Team Liaison
 

Kathleen E. Cericola-Drake

Title: Councilwoman
Term Expires: 12/31/2027

Email: kcericola@waldwicknj.gov
Chair - Buildings & Grounds Committee
Member - Recreation & Health Committee
Member - Public Works Committee
 

Joseph Martinello

Title: Council President
Term Expires: 12/31/2026

Email: jmartinello@waldwicknj.gov
Chair - Financial & Administrative Committee
Member - Fire & Police Protection Committee
Member - Recreation & Health Committee

Library Board of Trustees Liaison
 

Michael F. Ritchie, Jr.

Title: Councilman
Term Expires: 12/31/2027

Email: mritchie@waldwicknj.gov
Chair - Public Works Committee
Member - Public Safety Committee (Ambulance Corps)

Member - Financial & Administrative Committee

NWBCUA Liaison
 

Angela Smith

Title: Councilwoman
Term Expires: 12/31/2028

Email: asmith@waldwicknj.gov
Chair - Recreation & Health Committee
Member - Buildings & Grounds Committee

Waldwick Access For All Advisory Committee Liaison
 

Courtney Wingate

Title: Councilwoman
Term Expires: 12/31/2028

Email: awingate@waldwicknj.gov
Chair - Public Safety Committee (Ambulance Corps)
Member - Fire & Police Protection Committee
Member - Buildings & Grounds Committee

Board of Education Liaison

MISSION STATEMENT

 We are an independent branch of government constitutionally entrusted with the fair and just resolution of disputes in order to preserve the rule of law and to protect the rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States and this State.

The Municipal Courts are considered courts of limited jurisdiction, and have responsibility for adjudicating motor vehicle offenses, parking offenses, some criminal offenses (bad check charges, simple assault, and certain harassment offenses), municipal ordinance violations, and certain other offenses, such as weights and measures violations, as well as fish and game violations.  Municipal Courts usually only have jurisdiction over cases that occur within the boundaries of the municipality they occurred in.

Waldwick Municipal Court holds court the 1st and 3rd Mondays at 5:00 pm. The court also schedules special sessions as necessary to meet the administrative needs of the court.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN APPEARING BEFORE THE MUNICIPAL COURT

When appearing for court sessions, all litigants and members of the public should be aware of the following:

All persons appearing for court will be required to pass through a metal detector and will be subject to the request of all security personnel.
No hats are allowed in the courtroom.
All cell phones, pagers and electronic devices MUST be turned off while in the courtroom.
No photos or videos are allowed to be taken UNLESS prior consent has been granted by the Municipal Court Judge.
All briefcases, backpacks, purses and/or messenger bags, etc., are subject to search at any time.
No reading material is allowed in court.

 
Cases are generally heard in the following order:

Requests for adjournments
Arraignments
Guilty pleas with counsel
Guilty pleas without counsel
Contested matters with counsel
Contested matters without counsel

This process may be relaxed or changed to meet the administrative needs of the court.

Court Appearance Required  

If you have been issued a summons, and the officer has checked off the ‘court appearance required’ field on the face of the summons, or the personal injury field has been checked off, you must appear in court on the notice to appear date listed on the summons. Further, certain violations are not payable, and will require you to appear before the court.  If you are unsure whether you must appear in court or can simply pay your fine, please contact the violations bureau at 201-652-5300 x222.

Some examples of offenses that will require you to appear before the court:

driving while suspended
driving while intoxicated (DWI)
failure to exhibit insurance card
open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle
driving without a license
talking on a phone without a hands-free device or texting while driving

 
Pleas

If it is your intention to plead not guilty, you must notify the court seven (7) days prior to the court date listed on the face of your summons (notice to appear).  You may plead not guilty by calling the court office or in writing.  When doing so, the court will require you to provide the following information:

Your summons or complaint number(s)
Your current and correct address (if different from the address listed on the summons)
A telephone number

Adjournments

No matters will be granted more than one adjournment.  Normally, an adjournment will be granted by the court upon the entry of a plea of not guilty, to allow you time to prepare your defense, or to retain an attorney.  However, in some instances, for more serious offenses, i.e., indictable offenses, certain criminal offenses, and Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) cases, the court will require you to appear for an arraignment.  In these matters, adjournments will not be granted.

The Waldwick Municipal Court staff is available daily to assist litigants in any questions they have in regard to court procedure.  We will be happy to help you if we can.  However, we are allowed to help you only in certain ways, since we want to be fair to everyone in a case.

This is a list of some things that the court staff CAN and CANNOT do for you.

WE CAN explain and answer questions about how the court works.

WE CAN tell you what the requirements are to have your case considered by the court.

WE CAN give you some information from your case file.

WE CAN provide you with samples of court forms that are available.

WE CAN provide you with guidance on how to fill out forms.

WE CAN usually answer questions about court deadlines.

WE CANNOT give you legal advice.  Only your lawyer can give you legal advice.

WE CANNOT tell you whether or not you should bring your case to court.

WE CANNOT give you an opinion about what will happen if you bring your case to court.

WE CANNOT recommend a lawyer, but we can provide you with the telephone number of a local lawyer referral service.

WE CANNOT talk to the Judge for you about what will happen in your case.

WE CANNOT let you talk to the Judge outside of court.

WE CANNOT change an order issued by a Judge.
 

Mission Statement

To provide a fair and equitable assessment base for the distribution of property taxes, to educate the public in the process and provide access to information pertaining to real property and sales of real property.

Program Description

The Tax Assessor's Office is responsible for accurately identifying, listing and valuing all real property within the Borough.  This requires the collecting and maintenance of data from numerous other programs provided by New Jersey Statutes, including senior citizens, disabled persons, veterans tax deductions, farmland assessment, tax exemptions to eligible non-profit organizations, sales ratio and annual assessment notifications.

Taxes are due in quarterly installments, on the 1st day of the middle month of the quarter.  These dates are set by the State of New Jersey:  1st Quarter - February 1; 2nd Quarter - May 1; 3rd Quarter - August 1; 4th Quarter - November 1

Waldwick has a 10-day grace period to the 10th.  After the 10th, interest is charged from the first day of the month in which payments are due.  Please note that according to New Jersey State Law, failure to receive a tax bill does not exempt a property owner from payment of taxes.

Tax installments not paid by the due date are subject to 8% interest on the first $1,500.00 of the delinquency and 18% on any amount in excess of $1,501.00.  Also, any delinquency exceeding $10,000.00 at the end of the collection year will be assessed a 6% penalty.  Delinquent taxes unpaid for the prior year(s) are included in a tax sale in accordance with New Jersey statutes.

Water Clarity Issues:

03-24-2026 Waldwick Water Quality Presentation

View the presentation by H2M on the Water Quality Findings and Recommendations.

Download the slide presentation HERE.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

H2M is currently working on a computer hydraulic model of the Waldwick water system. Using information provided by the Borough, H2M is developing a hydraulic model of the complete water system. Hydraulic models such as the one being developed can be an invaluable tool in understanding system behavior – and, using this information, to optimize decision-making regarding system operations. When the model is calibrated H2M will run various modeling scenarios to develop recommendations for addressing the water quality complaints. H2M is also continuing to review logged information about customer calls regarding water quality to incorporate in the recommendations.
 

Water Clarity Reporting Form:

We are encouraging residents to fill out the Water Clarity Reporting form to help us track both new and existing issues.  We appreciate your help in identifying these issues.

Watch the virtual public presentation on Waldwick's Water Quality, Clarity Issues & More. Our engineering firm, H2M Architects & Engineers, presented updated data from the ongoing Hydraulic Study along with information on the water system infrastructure, water quality, clarity issues, testing, compliance and planning for the future. Also in attendance was Borough Administrator, Steven Neale.

Any follow-up questions or concerns can be directed to Tatiana Marquis at tmarquis@waldwicknj.gov.  

Download the slide presentation HERE.

Summary of our awareness of water clarity and taste issues some customers have reported starting around late-August to September 2024, including steps we have taken, and planned next steps.

*All required sampling, and additional diagnostic sampling indicate that the water continues to be safe to drink*

Notable Timelines:

• Water Main Break – June 10-12, 2024
  • Repairs completed by June 12^th
  • Boil Water Advisory lifted June 13^th
  • These repairs and subsequent flushing, in the affected area, should have resolved this period of discolored water.
• Startup of new PFAS Treatment systems – early July 2024
  • Treatment to remove PFAS compounds was added
  • As treatment was brought online, some locations have required routine maintenance. This increased maintenance resulted in wells running in a different pattern than prior to these new treatment systems being brought online.
• System Hydrant Flushing - Late July 2024
  • As part of implementing the PFAS system, hydrant flushing was implemented to remove any areas of older/untreated water.
• Late August – customer complaints – investigations were conducted regarding possible water main leaks or other potential causes. Samples collected in early September indicated slightly elevated iron concentration, but tested negative for coliform, indicating that the water mains were intact. Elevated iron can cause an unpleasant taste of the water and staining of laundry.
• Early September - Waldwick Water completed a program of water main flushing around the area of customer complaints.
• Late September through December - Additional water main flushing conducted, in response to new complaints and as part of routine system maintenance.
• January 2025 – Working with Water Engineering firm to assist with investigation of potential sources and to help develop a plan to identify, address, and correct the issue.
• *Updates will be posted as new information is available.

*Please continue to report issues with your water via our online submission form HERE, Phone at 201-652-5300 ext. 228 or Email to Steven Neale, sneale@waldwicknj.gov

Lead Service Line Information:

You may have received a 'Notice of Unknown Service Line Composition' letter from us. Below is some helpful information about that notice.

• Why you got the letter? The NJDEP and USEPA require an inventory of all service line materials for all water systems which we have been working to identify and update since at least 2021.
• Starting November 15, 2024, the USEPA now requires that water systems must notify people if the full extent of the service line has not been completely identified yet (both privately owned and publicly owned portions as shown on the diagram in the letter you received).
• Since the materials are unknown, the letter provides the USEPA required ‘Health Effects of Lead’ and ‘Steps You Can Take to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water.’
• We are continuing to work on updating our inventory and to meet the NJ requirement of replacement of all lead and galvanized service lines by 2031. 
• We routinely test for lead and copper in our system as required by the NJDEP and USEPA, and have meet the Safe Drinking Water Standards.

Here is a link to the NJDEP webpage regarding these letters:

https://dep.nj.gov/lead/notices/

How Can I Identify My Service Line Material?

• Visit: https://dep.nj.gov/lead/identification/ for more information. 

PFAS Update

We are pleased to report that we recently received our termination letter from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection regarding our Administrative Consent Order related to PFAS compliance.

It states, “The Department has determined that all conditions of the compliance schedule of the ACO have been satisfied and that the perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (“PFOS”) samples collected, pursuant to paragraph 28 of the ACO, demonstrate that the installed treatment systems are providing drinking water that is under the New Jersey PFOA and PFOS Maximum Contaminant Levels (“MCLs”).”

It goes on to say, “ Please also note that the Department considers your water system returned to compliance with the New Jersey PFOA and PFOS MCL(s), as two consecutive quarterly compliance samples have shown compliance with the MCL(s) following completion of the ACO compliance schedule.”

We would like to thank everyone for your patience and understanding throughout this whole process. This project started back in 2021 and has taken a tremendous amount of planning and effort from the Mayor and Council, all Borough Employees and our professionals who have been dedicated to reaching compliance since the start.

We would also like to note that this project was financed through the NJ Water Bank, and we were recently notified that we are eligible for $2,000,000 in principal forgiveness, which greatly reduces the financial impact on the Borough.

Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP):

The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program is available to eligible individual households that pay for their own water and sewer and meet low-income requirements. The LIHWAP program is not available for business accounts, estates, or property management companies. More Info Here.

Winter Termination Program:

The NJ Department of Community Affairs has implemented a Winter Termination Program to prevent service discontinuation for eligible residential customers receiving residential electric, sewer and water service from a local authority, municipal utility, or rural electric cooperative from November 15th through March 15th.
For More Information please visit: https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/wintertermination.shtml

Water Consumer Confidence Reports

Payment Methods

PFAS Information