Proposed board could be boon to Hillsborough

EDITORIAL:Township should act fast to get volunteer grants committee operating

By:
   Hillsborough Township’s Web site lists 19 municipal commissions and boards, but none of them is aimed at finding sources of revenue for the township.
   That’s why Committeeman Paul Drake’s recommendation at last week’s Township Committee meeting to form a volunteer board to seek out grants and funding for municipal needs is such a good idea.
   Of course, the 19 existing boards and commissions serve vitally important needs in our community — everything from locating affordable housing for seniors to planning for growth.
   And many of the bodies are mandated by the state or other legal requirements for the township.
   But none exists — or for that matter, was established — expressly to find ways of reducing Hillsborough’s onerous property tax burden.
   With the hearty recommendation of the other committee members, we’re expecting to see rapid action on the formation of this body — perhaps the group can be at work before the fall.
   Such a group should be beneficial to the township, even if it does little more than press our case before county, state or even federal officials.
   Hillsborough is a relatively wealthy community, but with limited commercial development. With the state’s reliance on property taxes to fund local and county needs, that puts the burden on homeowners.
   The group could not only seek out grants the township could use to pay for projects — a vital need — but also lobby on behalf of Hillsborough.
   In this way, the group could benefit the township twofold — increasing the money provided by the other governing bodies under existing programs as well as finding new sources and funds for the township.
   The success of such a committee, as always, will come from the skill, knowledge and efforts of its members.
   We hope to see residents with grant writing knowledge and skills volunteer for this body.
   Who knows — it could become the most important link in the township’s chain of commissions in short order.