'Everything's on Table' for Budget Meeting

All options—including alternatives, should there be any, to the removal of Borough Administrator Ray Codey—will be considered during a special budget meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening, Madison Borough Council President Jeannie Tsukamoto said.

The meeting is being held because the council , along with resolutions finalizing Codey's removal, which was to be incorporated into the 2012 budget as way to save money, saying the budget needs more consideration.

The first meeting at which the public had advance notice to comment on the issue of Codey's removal drew so many attendees the meeting was moved to the Presbyterian Church of Madison. More than a dozen residents, including and , protested the move. No one spoke in favor of the change.

Tsukamoto said if the governing body sees alternatives to removing Codey, they'll discuss them. Whether alternatives will be identified that can keep down Madison's tax hike, without spending down surplus or raising electric rates, or jeopardizing the borough's AAA bond rating is an open question, she said in an interview Monday

"Everything's on the table," she said.

Codey's employment status is in limbo because, while the Borough Council , the measure still needs to be formally signed off on, which has not yet happened.

The meeting Wednesday will start with an executive session as 7 p.m. and then open to the public at 7:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at Hartley Dodge Memorial. Officials said, like the previous meeting, they may have a plan in place to change the location if turnout is too large for Council Chambers.

The notice:

NOTICE, that the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Madison in the County of Morris and State of New Jersey have scheduled a Special Meeting to discuss the 2012 Municipal Budget for Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in the 2nd Floor Council Chamber, Hartley Dodge Memorial Building, Kings Road. The Agenda will consist of, but not be limited to, the 2012 Municipal budget and final adjustments to the budget document. The Special Meeting will be called to order and begin with an Executive Session at 7:00 p.m., in the Committee Room, 2nd Floor, Hartley Dodge Memorial; the meeting will reopen to the public at 7:30 p.m. or as soon as practical thereafter and continue in the 2nd Floor Council Chamber.

FURTHER NOTICE, that this meeting is open to the public and that formal action may be taken.