Stay informed and involved
Carol de Groot
To the residents of Bordentown Township, a lot of residents are complaining about the rise in taxes in the township. Most of you look at the bottom line when you get your tax bill, but how many of you look at the break down. The only part of your tax bill that the Township Committee has any control over is the one for Municipal Purpose/Open Space. The rest are for: County Tax, County Library Tax, County Farmland/Open Space, Fire District 1 or 2, and most of all, Regional Schools Tax (the biggest portion, about 62 percent). The township is required to collect these taxes but do not have a say in the amounts.
The municipal portion of the taxes pay for your police protection, Public Works, snowplowing, court, coads, crash pickup, leaf pickup, Christmas tree pickup, parks (including the buildings there), Town Hall, Senior Community Center are among the services provided by the municipal government of Bordentown Township.
Yes, there is a raise in your taxes, but do your homework and check out where your money is going. You may be surprised. How many of you go to meetings, whether it is township, school or even fire meetings? The last township meeting I went to when the budget was introduced there were seven people in the audience. Two residents asked questions. This is out of a township of over 10,000 people.
Sorry to say, but if you’re not interested in any of the meetings, then why do you complain? Get out and get involved. It only takes a couple hours of your week. Especially the school meetings, how many of you go to them? It is so important. For those of you who use the computer try this site. http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=DATA., especially the school part.
One hundred percent of the municipal purpose surplus has been used. The committee has said that laying off personnel might be the only option. Do we want four less police, three or four less Public Works people? A total of 13 or so will have to be laid off. Frankly I don’t want to see that. Aren’t there enough people out of work already?

