By:
Jamesburg
has solved many of its problems
over the past several year
s.
It has its
own dispatching service, it is
getting a traffic light at the dan
gerous intersection of Gatzmer
Avenue, Forsgate Drive and
Perrineville Road and it has a
new Borough
Hall.
But
more still needs to be done, es
pecially in regards to managing
a difficult budget and tax situa
tion. Because the borough is so
small and fully built, and be
cause most of the taxpayers are
residential property owners, the
burden of paying for services
falls to those residents. That
means taxes tend to be higher
than in neighboring communi
ties.
This
tax crunch demands council
members who can provide the
services residents need while
keeping an eye on spending,
council members who can find
creative ways to bring in new
ratables and develop alternate
sources of fund
ing.
It’s
not an easy job, and council
members should be willing to
put the time and energy into the
task.
We
believe Republican Darren Lar
sen can be such a council mem
ber.
Mr.
Larsen’s background as a re
gional manager and government
contract specialist for Bell Secu
rity shows he has an understand
ing of how the federal govern
ment works. He also has shown
a strong understanding of the
borough’s problems — traffic
safety, the continued health of
the commercial district — and
has a realistic view toward taxes
and spen
ding.
He is
a volunteer with the borough
and wants to begin a program to
help people find employment.
Both show a concern for James
burg and for his fellow residents
that will make him a fine addi
tion to an already strong
team.
The
Cranbury Press cannot endorse
Mr. Larsen’s running mate,
Chad Hetzell. He did not re
spond to several phone calls and
a letter inviting him to take part
in the endorsement interview
process, which disqualified him
from considera
tion.
De
mocratic candidate Joe Jennings
has not offered much in terms of
ideas for the future and he de
ferred too much to his running
mate, Mayor Tony LaMantia,
during interviews with The
Press.
Ma
yor LaMantia has been an excel
lent addition to the council. He
has worked tirelessly at the job
and knows the borough
well.
Ho
wever, we cannot endorse him.
He was named mayor in Sep
tember and, while he is seeking
re-election, he has said he will
remain mayor and would not ac
cept the council seat should he
win.
