The Municipal Annex and Police Headquarters, Explained: Old York School, $18.06 Million and the $20 Million Plan Line

The short version

On Sept. 28, 2026 the Township Committee adopted Ordinance No. 2026-1518, appropriating $18,060,000 for the construction of a municipal annex and authorizing $17,200,000 in bonds or notes, 5–0, with no public comment.
Officials said the annex will house a new Police Headquarters and Emergency Management Office, partly offset by a federal grant described as $2.25 million (and, on Sept. 14, as $2.2 million).
The Township is in discussions with the Branchburg Board of Education to acquire Old York School; the Mayor said that would reduce the borrowing for the overall project.
The 2026 capital program separately plans $20,000,000 for “Municipal Complex Improvements.”

The steps in the record

Date	Action
April 13, 2026	Consent Resolutions No. 2026-78 (preliminary costs for a feasibility study to repurpose 580 Old York Road) and 2026-80 (a professional architectural services contract with The Goldstein Partnership, LLC for the conceptual design of a new police building) pass 4–0 (Aye: Young, Columbus, Beatrice, Schworn; Mr. Owens absent)
July 13, 2026	The bill list, approved 5–0, includes $36,000.00 to Frank H. Lehr Associates for a municipal complex survey
July 14, 2026	The Mayor’s annual tax letter describes the Old York School discussions
July 27, 2026	Administrator Gregory Bonin reports Branchburg is on the list for a $2.25 million Community Project Funding award for an Emergency Operations Center; the Mayor reports talks with the Board of Education
Aug. 10, 2026	The bill list, approved 5–0, includes $7,795.00 to The Goldstein Partnership for police building conceptual design
Sept. 14, 2026	Ordinance No. 2026-1518 introduced on motion of Mr. Beatrice, seconded by Mr. Young; carried unanimously
Sept. 28, 2026	Ordinance No. 2026-1518 adopted after a public hearing with no speakers, on motion of Mr. Owens, seconded by Mr. Young; recorded vote 5–0 (Aye: Young, Columbus, Owens, Beatrice, Schworn)

The meeting pages give each evening’s full account: April 13, July 27, September 14 and September 28. (The Sept. 14 minutes’ motion line names “Ordinance No. 2026-1517”; the item heading and the title read are those of No. 2026-1518.)

The ordinance

The ordinance, read into the Sept. 28 minutes:

Term	As adopted
Purpose	Construction of a municipal annex, including all work and materials necessary
Appropriation	$18,060,000
Down payment	$860,000, from previously adopted budgets
Bonds or notes authorized	$17,200,000
Period of usefulness	30 years
Items under N.J.S.A. 40A:2-20	Up to $800,000
Grants	Any grant money received goes to the cost or to paying down the debt, reducing the borrowing authorized but not issued
Effective	20 days after first publication following final adoption

What officials said

Sept. 14 (introduction). Mayor James Schworn said the ordinance will fund a project to build a new Police Department facility with an Emergency Management Center; that it authorizes funding but does not commit the Township to spending the full amount; and that the existing Police Department building is in good condition and could be repurposed but no longer meets current operational standards. Mr. Thomas Young said the Township expects federal funding to offset part of the cost. Mr. Bonin said the Township is slated to receive a $2.2 million federal grant to upgrade its current emergency operations center, and that those funds will go toward the new facility. The Mayor said the Township is working with the Board of Education and hopes to acquire the Old York School property as the site.

Sept. 28 (adoption). The Mayor said the ordinance is the first step toward a new municipal annex building that will house a new Police Headquarters and Emergency Management Office, and that a $2.25 million federal grant will partly offset the cost. Mr. Young said the grant will let the Township use debt-service roll-off to cover part of the cost; the Mayor said some existing bonds mature and will be retired in the current budget cycle, so the Township can absorb part of the new debt “without incurring a tax increase.” Mr. David Owens said there will be more discussion of the Municipal Complex; the Mayor said the goal is a larger Municipal Complex with the current Police Headquarters repurposed, and that the Township is still in discussions with the Board of Education to acquire Old York School, which would reduce the bonding for the overall project. Mr. Bonin said that, based on the architect’s information, construction should take about two to three years from authorization to proceed.

The two grant figures are each as recorded in that meeting’s minutes. On July 27, Mr. Bonin had said the Courier News listed the Community Project Funding grants submitted by Congressman Kean’s office for inclusion in the U.S. House appropriations bills, with Branchburg on the list for $2.25 million for an Emergency Operations Center.

Old York School

In his 2026 annual letter, Mayor Schworn wrote that the Township was “currently in discussions” with the Branchburg Board of Education about acquiring the former Old York School property, described it as already publicly owned, and said its transfer would have “virtually no impact on property taxes.” He gave two purposes: keeping the parcel in public ownership so it cannot become a residential development site, and providing a location for a future Police Headquarters and Office of Emergency Management. The letter states the current headquarters no longer meets modern operational requirements, is not fully compliant with Department of Justice accessibility standards or the ADA, and lacks space for a growing department; it says the approach is expected to save millions in engineering, design and construction costs, with construction not anticipated until late 2028.

On July 27 the Mayor said he had met with the Board of Education’s new Superintendent, Kevin McPeek, and that the Township is working with the Board “to discuss the acquisition of Old York School and to repurpose that building into a new Police Department and Office of Emergency Management Center.” As of Sept. 28 the Mayor described the acquisition as still in discussion; no agreement has come before the Committee.

The existing Annex

The Township already uses a building it calls the Annex. On May 26, 2026 the Committee adopted Ordinance No. 2026-1512, 4–0, appropriating $100,000 from the Capital Fund balance for facility improvements at “the Annex, Police Station and Municipal Complex,” including doors, a water filtration system and HVAC replacement. That ordinance is separate from the new-annex bond ordinance.

The capital plan’s $20 million line

The 2026 adopted budget’s six-year capital program lists “Municipal Complex Improvements” at $20,000,000 total estimated cost, with $1,000,000 in the 2026 capital budget and $19,000,000 under debt authorized in its funding table. The budget states that the capital plan is a planning schedule and that separate lawful authorization is required for actual expenditure.

Record	Amount	What it is
2026 capital program	$20,000,000	Total estimated cost, planning entry
Ordinance No. 2026-1518	$18,060,000 appropriation; $17,200,000 bonds/notes	Adopted authorization

The two amounts may reflect different scope, estimates or timing; neither document reconciles them. For context, the UFB’s 2026 debt-service schedule reports municipality-wide principal of $1,450,000 and interest of $440,650 for 2026 — annual figures, not an annex-specific amount.

What comes next

An agreement with the Board of Education on Old York School, if one is reached.
The design, cost estimates and construction contracts, and any issuance of the authorized bonds or notes.
The federal grant’s award terms.

What residents can do

Read the minutes on the Township’s Agendas/Minutes page, which links its Documents-On-Demand portal.
Watch the meetings: the Sept. 28, 2026 video is in the Granicus archive.
Attend and speak at Township Committee meetings, the second and fourth Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the Municipal Building courtroom.