By Audrey Levine,Staff Writer
Ahead of Tuesday’s Township Committee reorganization, committee members both incoming and outgoing say the economy and taxes will be dominant themes in the coming year.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the municipal courtroom.
During the reorganization meeting, Mayor Anthony Ferrera will be sworn in for his second term on the Township Committee, while Committeewoman-elect Gloria McCauley will be sworn in for her first term, replacing Lisa Nisivoccia, who did not run in the 2008 elections.
The all-Republican committee will also choose a mayor and deputy mayor for the 2009 year.
For incoming Committeewoman McCauley, the most important issue to consider in the coming year is the economy and its effects on Hillsborough residents.
”At the forefront of my mind right now is the economy,” she said. “We have to be smart about what we need to do.”
In addition, Ms. McCauley said, the committee will have to continue initiatives already started in 2008, including wrapping up the township’s COAH obligation for creating affordable housing.
In the coming year, Ms. McCauley said, she is also hoping to get more residents involved in the township, allowing them to work on committees and with projects that especially interest them.
”People have very specific interests,” she said. “I would like to try to get people in where their interests lie.”
For Mayor Ferrera, one of the biggest issues of 2008, and one which will be just as important in the coming year, is that of the purchase of the 369-acre General Service Administration Belle Mead Depot.
”It will be a significant accomplishment in 2009,” he said. “We will continue with the purchase and solidify it. We will see what areas to clean up first and develop designs for the space.”
Also among his accomplishments, Mayor Ferrera said, were holding the tax rate under the inflation rate for the state, opening the new senior activity center, lowering construction fees, paying down debt and opening the railroad quiet zones at Auten Road and Beekman Lane. In 2009, he said, he is looking forward to also opening the quiet zones at Roycefield and Valley roads.
Aside from these, Mayor Ferrera said he is proud of the technological changes made in the township, which include offering copies of new ordinances on its Web site, online registration for recreation programs and e-newsletter updates.
”We can utilize this technology to promote volunteerism,” he said. “We can add on the Web site about nonprofit groups.”
Mayor Ferrera said he wants to encourage volunteerism in the community and continue with the services provided by Social Services. This year, he said, the Food Bank was full because of donations, and residents were able to collect about 2,000 gifts to give out to children.
”This is a great place for community (involvement),” he said. “We need people to step up and give their time.”
In addition to helping the residents themselves, Mayor Ferrera said he would like to keep Hillsborough very business-friendly. In the past year, he said, about 100 new businesses opened around town.
”With these economic times, we need to see how to keep the businesses in town, and help them prosper,” he said. “We will continue our efforts to be more business-friendly.”
As she prepares to leave the committee, Ms. Nisivoccia said she is glad to have been involved in most committees in the township, with her main involvement being with budget and finance; personnel; parks; recreation; youth services; the Hillsborough-Millstone Alliance; and cultural arts.
Through all this work, however, she said her biggest accomplishment was working to help protect New Jersey’s Drug Free School Zones.
”I would say my biggest accomplishment, and the one that I’m most proud of, is spearheading the petition drive to protect New Jersey’s Drug Free School Zones,” she said. “And then (I worked) with Assemblyman Pete Biondi to create a bill to keep the drug free zones from being reduced and to ensure our children’s safety.”
Although she said she hopes to remain involved in the township in the future, especially as the GSA purchase moves forward, Ms. Nisivoccia said she will miss working with her colleagues.
”I will miss working with them with their teaming and support to make Hillsborough a better place to live,” she said.
As the new year begins, Ms. Nisivoccia said she sees taxes as one of the biggest issues facing residents, although she understands that this is no different than in any other community.
”I would say taxes (are the biggest problem), but that is the same in every part of New Jersey,” she said. “Overall, I think Hillsborough is a great community and the Township Committee has done a great job to make it that way.”

