Bond cites accomplishments

By: centraljersey.com
Three years ago I ran for office listing my experience on many boards, commissions and committees within the borough and I told you what I wanted to accomplish on council. To gain your vote this time I need to tell you what I have done over that span and what I would like to do in the future.
One of my most important responsibilities is that of Water and Sewer liaison. With a budget of more than $3 million, I have worked with department heads and the engineer to greatly improve our overall water and sewer infrastructure. Early in 2008 we negotiated an agreement with Peddie and Meadow Lakes in which they paid for a large section of water pipeline. We completed that pipeline this year by securing a 1-percent loan from the federal government resulting in increased water pressure and volume to almost half of the town. We have also made significant improvements to both of our plants with more to come in 2011, which will save us money over the next five years.
I participated in hiring our new borough administrator, borough clerk, and revamping the office structure resulting in increased efficiency and reduced payroll. As a member of the solid waste committee, we cut recycling costs in half, started a shared-services agreement with Roosevelt, and reduced our landfill tonnage. As a member of the joint Minute Maid site committee with East Windsor, we received a $100,000 grant to study the Mercer Street corridor. For all of my three years I have been a part of the Police and Court Study Team looking at ways to save the borough money while protecting our safety and welfare.
This year your borough taxes went up in large part to increased health insurance costs of 22 percent, $350,000 in reduced state aid, and pension payment deferral from last year. You will definitely not see this kind of increase for 2011 as we are already addressing these issues and targeting more.
I plan to continue to work hard to get things done and leave the rhetoric to others, as being on council should be more than just sitting on a dais. As an elected volunteer, not a politician, I ask for your vote on Nov. 2.
Jeffrey Bond Democratic candidate Hightstown Borough Council
Hidden cost of status quo
We’ve all felt the impact of the status quo in Hightstown: a doubling of municipal taxes over the past ten years, a reduction in basic services like twice-weekly garbage collection cut to once a week, and paying fees for services like bulk pickup that were once covered with our taxes, to name just a few.
But there are hidden costs associated with trying to keep Hightstown "the way it has always been." And these are no less a burden to borough taxpayers than high taxes. What’s worse, the burden of these hidden costs on taxpayers continues to grow and they have been largely ignored by borough government. These include:
Depressed home prices. Yes, home prices have declined throughout much of the area, but with the exception of Trenton, the 43-percent decline in home values in Hightstown over the past five years is the worst in the county and nearly double that of East Windsor.
– Artificially high water and sewer rates. The borough has transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses from the borough budget to the Water and Sewer budget in an effort to keep tax increases down. The result of this questionable practice is water and sewer rates that are double that of East Windsor while still having the highest municipal taxes in the county.
– Absence of recreational programs. The borough has no summer recreational programs for kids, few playgrounds and no sports fields that we can call our own. Our older residents are fortunate because the borough has a shared-services agreement with East Windsor that allows them to participate in the township’s extensive senior programs. Our children are not so lucky. They can only participate in East Windsor recreational programs if township children do not fill them to capacity.
– Inadequate government services. The borough doesn’t have adequate staff to address some of the key quality-of-life issues facing taxpayers and we can’t afford to hire more people. Because of this, codes and ordinances are not being adequately and equally enforced. This has too often resulted in illegal or substandard boarding houses and fleets of taxis that may not have licensed drivers or adequate insurance.
Addressing these issues by raising taxes hasn’t helped. Reducing the cost of borough government while also increasing the level and type of services can only be accomplished through the consolidation of Hightstown and East Windsor.
Rob Thibault Republican candidate for mayor of Hightstown