Tag: consolidation
Doughnuts and the holes
There are a lot of towns out there that are not going to be happy with municipal consolidation legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, but someone had to put this issue on the table.
The reality is that we cannot continue to function in a state as small as New Jersey, with 8 million people and a badly busted fiscal situation unless we reduce the number of towns. There are 566 in New Jersey, 611 school districts, 21 counties and numerous other tax districts. Many do not need to exist.
Merging agendas
Maybe the difficult job of crafting a budget for small towns like Hightstown and Bordentown is starting to sway local officials to consider doing more than complaining.
Hightstown is ready to study consolidation with East Windsor and Bordentown is looking at a police merger. Where will these studies lead? It’s too early to know, but the fact that the discussions are happening is a good sign for New Jersey.
CJ Radio Podcast: The Hightstown-East Windsor consolidation report
http://www.switchpod.com/player.swf
We have recorded our first centraljersey.com podcast — called CJ Radio — which will be a weekly feature. Each week, we will bring you news and opinions from across the region, including interviews with local newsmakers and responses from our readers and listeners.
This week, we offer my commentary on a municipal consolidation report issued by a Hightstown community group that says a merger between Hightstown Borough and East Windsor Township could save as much as $1.8 million.
To listen to the commentary, go here.
Township mayor targets separate Princetons
Princeton Township’s new mayor, Bernie Miller, has sounded the call for municipal consolidation — again.
Miller, during Sunday’s reorganization meeting, echoed calls made in the past by other township mayors that a merger would be best for taxpayers.
While the two municipalities share some services, they continue to oversee significant duplication, including two separate police departments. Mayor Miller said that the increased economic pressures faced by local governments in 2009 demanded he and his borough counterparts pursue “the opportunities for longer term savings” through full consolidation even it that means “working myself out of a job.”
Miller’s call-to-arms, so to speak, could have far-reaching ramifications around the state if he is successful in getting not only the township but Princeton Borough on board. Were that to happen, it create momentum for Reed Gusciora’s plan to “eat up” the state’s doughnut towns.
Hank Kalet 