Somerset County could have led the way toward a new vision of government in the state, but its 19 towns nixed efforts to create a single county police force that would have saved taxpayers in Somerset about $44 million over 10 years.
Under the plan, the county would have been split into five precincts under the supervision of one police chief and an executive board.
The merged department would have had 606 police officers — an increase over the 592 officers now employed in the county. Officials studying the issue projected a combined savings of $44 million over the next decade, caused largely by reduced overhead and a different salary structure for new recruits.
Some of the concerns were valid — in Franklin, for instance, the most populous and diverse town, one that borders New Brunswick and shares some of its urban characteristics, there was concern about a loss of service, though the precinct arrangement could have been structured to protect it and the other populous southern towns.
In the end, Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-Somerset) was right:
“We cannot continue to gripe about property taxes and then do nothing to transform our cost structure,” he said.
Consolidation of services among contiguous towns makes sense — full consolidation makes even better sense for many towns and regions, but that is an argument that appears a non-starter in this home-rule state. A much-discussed police merger in Hightstown and East Windsor was nixed a few years ago and it took 50 years of debate and several failed efforts to get the Princetons to unify.
For now, Somerset County will continue to be served by 19 police departments and its residents will be stuck with the ever-growing bill.
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