FANWOOD — Budget discussions will begin in earnest over the course of the coming weeks as Fanwood officials work to prioritize spending needs for 2025.

“We don’t have full control over the budget even though some people think we do,” Councilman Anthony Carter said. “We have little to no control over when the county gives their numbers or when the school board gives theirs…but in the past, we have made judicious adjustments as needed.”

Mr. Carter also informed the council that the borough was recently able to sell an ambulance for over $90,000.

“That was a good win,” Mr. Carter said. “Kudos to everyone that was involved in that.”

In other borough news, Diane Cukrow, a registered nurse, was sworn in as the newest member of the Fanwood Board of Health on Thursday.

“We are always so thankful to our residents that answer the call,” Mayor Colleen Mahr said.

David Schwartzberg was reappointed to a new term on the borough’s environmental commission and Richard Birch was appointed to fill a vacancy on the planning board.

The council also issued proclamations in honor of Black History Month and Eating Disorder Awareness Week, which will be observed between February 24 and March 2.

Tashira Wheeler, president of a local nonprofit organization known as Social Justice Matters (SJM), thanked Mayor Mahr for the recognition and congratulated the borough on the fact that Kramer Manor, a historic Black neighborhood that straddles the border between Fanwood and Scotch Plains, was recently added to the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail.

According to information provided by SJM, the 100-home neighborhood was founded in 1924 by realtors Harry and Hyman Kramer as an “all-Black enclave” where people could “sustain community” despite all odds.

“At the time that it was founded, there was a lot of redlining going on, which meant that Black residents were not allowed to buy homes in certain areas,” Ms. Wheeler said, adding that the men behind Kramer Manor strongly believed that everyone deserved a chance to own property. “The neighborhood is a gem. It’s a wealth of history,” she said.

In 2020, a group of volunteers got together to help preserve the history of the culturally-significant neighborhood by interviewing past and present residents and recording their stories for future posterity.

“As long as we keep having these conversations, we will never forget this important piece of history,” Ms. Wheeler said.

Recordings, video clips and more information about the Kramer Manor Project can be found on the Social Justice Matters website at socialjusticematters.org.

The Fanwood mayor and council will host a public workshop meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 3, in the borough hall.