Questioning McGough’s qualifications
By: centraljersey.com
Keep in mind, Mr. McGough was a councilman for more than a year and worked not only on the municipal budget during his tenure but adjudicated over the school budget, as well. Did the sewer utility budget elude him then? Of course, our planning board engineers also gave Mr. McGough a job while he served on Township Council which, by state code, N.J.A.C. 13:40-3.1, is not allowed. I wonder what other "mistakes" were made?
Mr. McGough, whose main function as business administrator is to assist with the preparation of the municipal budget, seems to have difficulty understanding the most basic mathematical concepts. Perhaps that is why the mayor hired a financial consultant to work on this year’s budget and why he created the position of assistant business administrator. It does make one wonder what the qualifications are for this $155,000 a year job.
Sonja Walter Robbinsville Editor’s note: Ms. Walter is a former township councilwoman and unsuccessful candidate for mayor.
Steps to take for Robbinsville
To the editor:
Robbinsville’s leadership approved a $465 tax hike to the average homeowner. This well exceeded the 4 percent cap. This happened even though Robbinsville taxpayers rejected the school budget and the new school referendum. Additionally, many local businesses continue to struggle.
These decisions and trends accelerate the downward pressure on our property values and negatively impact the culture of our community. To reverse the trends in the wake of a challenging economy, Robbinsville needs a renewed sense of priority and focus. Specifically:
1) Intelligently invest in our community’s children: We need to make sure we are giving our children a strong, safe, and enriching academic experience to compete in a global economy.
2) Frequent local businesses: Our residents can prioritize shopping local establishments and using local professional services. This will help commercial ratables and make Robbinsville more attractive for other businesses.
3) Create a walkable Town Center: Our town leaders continue to enable an infrastructure where many cars exceed 45 mph in front of our retail shops. The town should more aggressively work to improve the walkability of Town Center and partner with residents to do so. A solar farm on the south side is not the answer. Additionally, residents can further embrace walking/biking to the commercial facilities in Town Center and Foxmoor.
While many people are supporting the above focus areas, too many are not. As evidenced by recent facts, behaviors, and decisions, our current path is one of lower property values, higher taxes, and difficult academic challenges. Regardless of economic challenges, we can do much better to reverse these trends.
Rich Dec Robbinsville
Thanks follow New Egypt Day
To the editor:
New Egypt Day on May 15th was a huge success due to many people who worked together for the benefit of the community. Main Street New Egypt would like to thank the people and organizations that contributed to another great day in New Egypt!
Many thanks to: Mayor Dancer and the Township Committee; and the New Egypt Police, Fire, First Aid and Emergency Management departments. For help during the planning stages of the festival, thanks to Danielle Peacock, Dorothy Hendrickson and Nancy Hendrickson. Thanks to Dave Rogers and Tim for getting Oakford Lake Park ready for the festival, and for cleaning up afterwards. Many thanks to Charlie Bauer for crossing everyone safely, and to George Lee for his assistance.
Volunteers from the NEHS Interact Club and from the Teen Advisory Board at the Ocean Co. are truly the behind-the-scenes magic of the festival. They are willing to help with anything and everything that needs to be done that day. These teenage volunteers have proven to be an invaluable part of the day and we owe them many, many thanks!
The Presbyterian Church played a huge part in the day’s success by making their church grounds available to the community for the day. It was the perfect setting for the festival. Thank you!
For donations, assistance and financial support, we warmly thank Dave Galloway, Pat Hlubick, Big Woods Nursery, Bomar Printing, Sherri Lotito, Donny’s Potties, Liberty Lake Day Camp, Jay Sweet’s Rock Workshop, William Lewis and New Egypt Agway.
A warm thank you to the many vendors, crafters, and organizations who participated.
And, of course, thanks to all of you who came out and supported the event. We hope you enjoyed the day. If you have any comments you would like to share, or if you would like to participate in our next festival – the Spooktacular Fall Fest on Halloween (10/31/10), send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 758-7461.
Lori Parsells and Peter Ylvisaker Main Street New Egypt