Skillman Village needs county bailout

Thom Carter of Montgomery
  Now it seems as if the recent trend toward government bailouts has reached Montgomery Township. Because of poor planning by our mayor and her colleagues that resulted in eroding of the municipal surplus and building a monumental debt, the taxpayers of Montgomery are facing a substantial new burden. The primary culprit is the purchase of the North Princeton Developmental Center.
   Thankfully, Montgomery Township Committee candidate Kacey Dyer proposed that Somerset County purchase the 260-acre parcel and turn it into a much needed general use park. This solution will help Montgomery twofold; it will relieve the local government of significant debt and it will provide township residents with much-needed active and passive recreational opportunities.
   The problems with the development of the property are many. There is the need to recoup the purchase price and the high cost of clean-up, estimated to be in excess of $20 million. Then there are the COAH requirements for low-and moderate-income housing that will come with development. Andfinally, there is the small problem of the fact that no developer wants to build anything on the property.
   I applaud Kacey Dyer for suggesting this approach and Freeholder Peter Palmer and the Board of Chosen Freeholders for their willingness to consider a purchase. I can only hope that they not only find a way to help the Montgomery taxpayer but continue for years to come, making Somerset County and its municipalities financially better and greener.
   Because of this and so many other reasons, I encourage my friends and neighbors to vote for Ms. Dyer.
Thom Carter
Montgomery