As the Montclair Township Council convened Monday night, March 27, in front of each council member at the wood-paneled dais was the prospective municipal budget – a plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, laying out expenditures just shy of $100 million and a 1.95% tax increase.

At the ready were Montclair’s chief financial officer, Padmaja Rao, and a fiscal consultant to lead the council and the public on a deep dive.