For Kacey Dyer in Montgomery

Mark Caliguire, Montgomery Township Committeeman
    In this year’s local election for Montgomery Township Committee the stakes could not be higher. Our municipal budget has been under a lot of strain this past year due to the mismanagement of the state’s finances in Trenton, increasing state mandates, and not enough local fiscal prudence. With our national economy worsening, and increased taxes straining our personal finances, it is even more critical that we elect another fiscal conservative like Republican Kacey Dyer to the Township Committee.
   We need to make sure we do what it takes to cut spending, reduce municipal debt and make good decisions with regard to the Skillman Village property. We need to avoid not only more debt, but we also need to avoid high density housing and development in that rural portion of Montgomery.
   The Skillman Village project has added $27 million in debt to the township budget. I voted against much of that, but I was the only “no” vote. It costs us over $880,000 per year to carry that new debt and we need to move quickly to reduce that burden in future budgets. It is not enough to hope that at some point a re-developer will have an interest in purchasing the property. That could take years, and if and when that does happen, we may end up with high-density development and additional COAH obligations that would transform that property from a rural park-like setting to a mini urban. It is naive to think a re-developer won’t press for much more density in order to make money, and after years of carrying costs, the Township Committee will be pressed to cave in to more development to make the numbers work.
   Kacey Dyer has recently called on the county freeholder board to seriously consider the purchase of Skillman Village as a county park. That is a plan that could reduce the debt burden as well as avoid the current and future plans to put high density housing in Skillman Village. It represents the kind of thinking we need to change the current fiscal picture.
   Kacey understands that governments, like individuals, need to live within their means. She will work with me to keep our municipal government accountable for every dollar spent and to do what it takes to reduce current debt and avoid future debt.
   Please join me in voting for Kacey Dyer for the Montgomery Township Committee.
Mark Caliguire
Township Committeeman
Montgomery