Molnar will stop overspending

Hal Shute of West Amwell
    The current township committee of West Amwell, effectively controlled by Ron Shapella, is not governing in a fiscally responsible manner.
   The budget reserve, or rainy day fund, has been depleted as far as the auditor will allow.
   There is no plan to fill the vast hole in the budget when — not if — the state takes another run at our $1 million plus gross receipts tax revenue. Our municipal tax rate and debt are climbing rapidly.
   Our roads are being neglected. No municipal funds have been expended on road resurfacing and only the barest minimum for maintenance for several years running.
   Growth in the tax base has stopped, and for the foreseeable future, the same taxpayers will be asked to shoulder the burden of increased government costs while their property values stagnate or drop.
   Meanwhile, Mr. Shapella’s government glibly continues to spend and spend and is recklessly forcing a date with a judge in a landowner lawsuit. Make no mistake, this lawsuit was avoidable and was forced by some of Mr. Shapella’s draconian land use ordinances.
   If the township loses, we taxpayers will be on the hook for millions. If the township prevails, we will have spent hundreds of thousands, alienated and likely forced our largest farmer and land steward out of the township, and the land in question can still be developed.
   If that sounds like a lose-lose, it is.
   Despite the fact that this year we held on to the state funding, received extraordinary state aid and received a grant to do road improvements, our taxes still rose quite a bit.
   There are no easy answers to these problems. However, I firmly believe that electing Tom Molnar will be a good first step. He will stop the profligate spending and actively seek a settlement of the lawsuit.
   He will listen to diverse and educated views on how to increase our revenues without going to the same well again and again.
   These are dire times everywhere, and yet Mr. Shapella continues to fight the last war against developers.
   Ron, in case you haven’t noticed, they are all broke. I don’t want to be next.
Hal Shute
West Amwell