Below is a brief recap of Monday night’s Mayor and Council meeting (December 29, 2025). I’ll do my best to share summaries like this for future Mayor and Council, and School Board meetings as well.
Lately, local conversations have been drifting toward party labels and national talking points. That might work on cable news, but it doesn’t work for a small town like Borough of Wharton. There isn’t a Democrat way or a Republican way to plow snow, collect trash, or apply for grants. What matters is good governance, sound decisions, and leaders who listen.
That’s why I’m choosing to stay focused on being #ForWharton.
When you look at the actual outcomes, not the noise, it’s clear our Mayor and Council are doing the work we elected them to do.
𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
• The Mayor and Council removed the proposed ordinance from the agenda before it even went to a vote.
• Why? Because they listened carefully to public comments and recognized it was not in the town’s best interest to move forward.
• This is exactly how local government is supposed to function. Residents spoke, leadership listened, and action followed.
• That’s not politics, that’s responsible stewardship.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹
• The Wharton Mall was awarded a $25,000 tax appeal, which directly impacts the borough budget.
• Tax appeals are paid 100% by the borough, not shared with schools or the county.
• While only about 20–25% of our property tax bill goes to the town, 100% of tax appeal costs fall on the borough.
• This structure is set by the state, not by local officials. It doesn’t seem fair, but it’s the hand we’ve been dealt.
• The encouraging part is that our Mayor and Council have consistently planned and budgeted responsibly for tax appeals, preventing sudden shocks that could otherwise affect property taxes. That’s good financial governance.
$𝟭.𝟯 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁
• The borough successfully secured a $1.3 million grant to rebuild the walls of the Morris Canal.
• This kind of investment simply would not be possible without aggressive and thoughtful grant-seeking.
• Our Mayor and Council consistently pursue outside funding so local taxpayers are not carrying the full burden.
• Many towns fail to do this well. Wharton does, and it shows in the quality of our infrastructure and shared spaces.
𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝗼𝗹𝗮 𝗩𝗮𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘇 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝗯 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗼𝗻
• Mayor Bill Chegwidden formally thanked Paola Vasquez and Robert Norton for their years of service on Council.
• Their work helped deliver many of the open space improvements our community enjoys today.
• They were also instrumental in securing grants that will continue to benefit Wharton long after their terms end.
• As is his custom, the Mayor personally gifted each of them a rocking chair as a small but meaningful gesture of appreciation. It was thoughtful and well deserved.
At the local level, results matter more than rhetoric. Listening matters more than labels. Stewardship matters more than slogans.
Let’s keep the focus where it belongs.
Let’s stay #ForWharton.
