Washington hopefuls Vince Calcagno and Bob Giangrasso discuss bringing commercial growth to township.
By: Mark Moffa
WASHINGTON Township Committee candidates last week discussed ideas to control taxes and increase the number of businesses in the township, with incumbent Republican Vince Calcagno touting the governing body’s successes while Democratic challenger Bob Giangrasso criticized it for not doing enough.
Mr. Calcagno said the township has increased its commercial tax base from $70 million to $142 million since 1997. That jump, he said, means businesses account for 18 percent of the tax base, up from 12 percent four years ago.
"I’d like to see that percentage definitely closer to 30 percent," he said.
He said the township is doing what it can to reach that goal and to keep municipal taxes stable. The committee worked hard, he said, to get sewer service under the New Jersey Turnpike to the Northeast Business Park, the development that was responsible for most the recent increase in the commercial tax base.
Plus, Mr. Calcagno said, more than half of the park is still to be developed.
Mr. Giangrasso said he would like to see municipal taxes lowered, not merely kept stable. He said he wants to look at the township’s expenditures from a zero-based perspective, which would require each line item of the budget to be viewed as if it was not needed; then, its existence would have to be justified.
He has questioned the need for positions such as the township administrator, chief financial officer and planner.
He said he is concerned the township is not attracting the type of businesses it needs.
"I get the feeling that the general thought is any commercial business would be great," Mr. Giangrasso said. "(But) just because it’s a commercial ratable doesn’t mean it will benefit the township."
Mr. Giangrasso has been critical of a plan before the zoning board, for example, to place a gas station at the corner of Meadowbrook Road and Route 130.
He said the township should consider offering tax breaks to "desirable" businesses such as office or research facilities.
Mr. Calcagno said such measures are usually illegal, and even if they were not, he would not support tax breaks for businesses. "They defeat the purpose," he said.
He said Washington’s location near Route 195 and the New Jersey Turnpike should make it an attractive place to do business.
He said the township needs its planning professionals, and that it would cost Washington several times more money to contract out its Planning Department.
The largest issue facing township taxpayers is the school board’s proposal to construct a $50 million high school. Both candidates said they agree with the idea of building a high school in Washington, but neither would lend support to the current plan. Both said they wanted to see the final tax impact figures before taking a stand on the issue.
The board is waiting for the state to approve its plan, and does not yet know how much state aid it will receive for its $64.7 million proposal, which also includes a $10.5 million expansion of Pond Road Middle School and a $4.2 million pool for the high school.
The township next year will be providing rescue service for the first time, as its contract with the Allentown First Ad Squad expires at the end of this year.
Mr. Giangrasso said the township should have given longer consideration to the concept of privatizing the service.
"They need to really, really look at the difference between the two (privatizing versus providing the service itself) and not be rushed into what they are doing," he said.
The Township Committee decided the service would be provided through the township’s Fire Department, which has said it will need to hire eight additional personnel and purchase an ambulance.
Mr. Calcagno said he supported the Fire District’s plan because he thought it would provide the fastest response times.