Audubon officials used their March caucus meeting on Tuesday to prepare for the 2026 municipal budget and outline public safety responses ranging from winter storm cleanup to car thefts and new e-bike rules.
The session also cleared the way for upcoming community events, including Audubon Day in April and recurring brewery gatherings downtown, while spotlighting recent state titles for high school athletes.
Parks and Recreation Funding Moves Forward
The commission adopted Resolution 2026-72, ratifying an enabling resolution tied to the borough’s Green Acres park improvement grant application.
The move follows months of work on park upgrades and state funding. In February, officials detailed plans for a final Green Acres hearing on Audubon Family Park and a separate bid for about $100,000 from the state Department of Community Affairs, as reported in Audubon pursues about $100K DCA grant, plans final Green Acres hearing on Family Park Feb. 10
The commissioners also approved Resolution 2026-73, authorizing an application to the Camden County Governance Council on Substance Use Disorder for the July 2026–2027 fiscal grant cycle. The application is aimed at securing county funds that could support local responses to substance use disorder; specific program uses were not discussed during the meeting.
Event-related measures included authorization for limited brewery events by Farm Truck Brewing, LLC, at 100 W. Merchant Street beginning Saturday, March 7, 2026. Resolution 2026-75 granted a social affairs permit for Audubon Day at the Francis J. Wood Recreation and Community Center on Saturday, April 25, with a rain date of Sunday, April 26. Mayor Rob Jakubowski abstained from that vote.
Commissioner Andrea Wendell said preparations for Audubon Day are underway for April 25, noting that the event will anchor a broader focus on the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.
Wendell said the borough is “getting things together” to join other municipalities in marking the semiquincentennial. She described a local initiative branded as “America 250 Audubon style,” which she said has already launched on the borough website and will feature weekly Thursday posts on Facebook and other social media platforms.
Those plans build on discussions dating back to last year about a coordinated 250th anniversary effort, including park programming and historical themes, covered in Audubon Approves Over $600K for Hampshire and Davis Avenue Upgrades in Latest Borough Meeting and Audubon Names New Borough Administrator and Public Works Superintendent
Officials Target April 21 for Budget Introduction
Borough Administrator Danielle Ingves told commissioners that work on the 2026 municipal budget is in progress, with salary ordinances and related documents being finalized with Chief Financial Officer John Bruno.
Commissioner David Alemi said he is working with Bruno as they await final salary figures for administrative staff. He said that once those numbers are received, he, Bruno, and Ingves will update the draft budget and provide figures to the other commissioners.
Alemi said everyone involved is “on the same page” and moving forward toward an April 21 target date for budget introduction, adding that “things are going as planned.”
The borough’s budget process comes as Audubon continues to emphasize financial and operational benchmarks. Last fall, the municipality earned a high score on New Jersey’s 2025 Best Practices Survey, securing full state aid for the year, according to Audubon Borough Secures Full State Aid With High Score on 2025 Best Practices Survey
Public Works Details Storm Response and Facility Upgrades
Superintendent of Public Works R.J. Callaway reported that department crews worked extended shifts during Winter Storm Fernando to clear borough streets.
Callaway said his team “mobilized to clean up after the blizzard” and put in a 22-hour shift. He thanked residents for moving their vehicles off the streets, saying that residents did a “phenomenal job” and that their cooperation “made our job a lot easier.”
Jakubowski publicly thanked Callaway and the public works department for handling the recent snow, saying they “did a great job with the snow this last time.”
