Submitted by the candidate
Kacey Dyer, a lifelong resident of Montgomery, is looking forward to bringing her infectious enthusiasm to this year’s general election for Montgomery township committee.
Specifically, Kacey is interested in keeping Montgomery affordable, re-development of the NPDC site, and quality of life issues, such as the increasing traffic congestion that is becoming so burdensome in Montgomery.
It is essential that property taxes are addressed so families can continue to enjoy Montgomery township. Over the years, Kacey has seen too many family friends move out of town after their children finished high school because it was just too expensive to stay any longer. Kacey feels it is critical to help make Montgomery more affordable, now. She would like to make this a community where people can raise their families, see them through local schools and stay for retirement.
The township committee must be responsible for holding increases in spending to no higher than the rate of inflation. Kacey pledges to only vote to approve budgets that meet this goal. Also, Kacey is a proponent of shared services. Montgomery township needs to find real cost savings, sharing services with neighboring towns, the county and the school board needs to be expanded upon. While keeping spending down is paramount, Kacey believes that real lasting property tax relief will come from identifying long term cost savings.
The NPDC site has long been an eyesore in the middle of Montgomery. Redevelopment is a must, but it has to be smart redevelopment. Property taxes are already an increasing burden on our residents, yet the township committee voted for a nearly $6 million lake restoration project despite valid concerns about its costs and the need for its restoration. We keep hearing about the "vision" the Township Committee has for the NPDC site, but we have yet to see how an expensive, restored lake will fit into that vision, if at all. Bad decisions at NPDC will negatively affect Montgomery Township and residents’ tax bills for years to come.
Redevelopment at NPDC must also take into account how much traffic will be generated. Traffic in Montgomery is a problem that must be addressed. The incumbents tout the traffic improvements they are getting from developers, but they fail to mention that the developer is putting a large mall on Route 206. This mall will make the already congested intersection of Route 206 and 518 even more congested. Imagine having to go through that intersection during a busy shopping evening in December when people are coming from all over Somerset County to the Montgomery Mall? It is going to take a bad traffic situation and make it much worse.
Kacey will bring a new vitality to the township committee. Her goal is to help Montgomery retain its unique charm while allowing for "smart growth" at NPDC that will benefit all of the township residents.
Kacey is an options surveillance analyst in compliance for Morgan Stanley in Jersey City. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Vermont in 2000.
