William J. Morelli
There has been a lot of misinformation about the Bordentown Township Tax Cap Referendum vote on April 27. It is important that every vote be an informed vote. I have spent many hours going over the budget, the referendum, and the predictable outcomes of approving or not approving the referendum. I have concluded there are 10 pressing reasons for approving it.
But first, let’s look at the economic impact of each outcome.
Vote NO, and the township portion of the tax bill on an average home will rise by $49 a year, or $12.25 each quarter.
Voting YES will mean an increase of $110 annually, or $27.50 per quarter.
So, a NO vote will save the owner of an average home $15.25 each time (s)he pays the tax collector. I think you would agree, it’s not a lot of money.
There are some, even one, I hear, whose name rhymes with mine, who say we should vote no “to make a statement.” They allege “there’s more to cut.” When pressed to itemize where, however, they fall silent. They just “know it.” Let me tell you what I know because I have done the research, questioned both the committee and the administrative team, and have the experience of having worked on both municipal and private industry budgets over the past 40 years.
Voting YES will mean services go on as usual. That is Plan A. Here’s what voting NO for that $15.25 a quarter will mean to each property owner and resident in the township, because here is what Plan B is.
• 1. No money for senior citizen activities, Community Day, Veterans Day;
• 2. New fees for notary services, and increased fees for dog and cat licenses, certified copies, business licenses, etc.
At this point it doesn’t sound like your life will change much, does it? As they say on TV, “But wait, there’s more!”
• 3. Only emergency routes will be plowed during the first round of snow removal. The rest will be done as manpower and equipment permit during normal working hours. Why? No overtime money available.
• 4. No curbside leaf, brush, or tree collections. We will be required to take it to a designated site. Same reason
• 5. No maintenance of parks and playgrounds: Northern Community, Bossert, Terry Field, Set Hand, and Laurel Run Golf Course. Accommodation of league use of parks eliminated. Same reason
• 6. No public space maintenance. This will seriously impact Wellington Woods, Williamsburgh Village, Meadow Run, and Holloway Meadows. Same reason
Right about now, you’re probably thinking about what the township will look like to anyone driving through, and what the view outside your windows will be every day. Consider also what it will look like to a prospective buyer who might buy your house when it’s for sale. Dismal as this picture is, there are more cuts to be made. Without that $15.25 a quarter, here’s what’s next:
• 7. Reduction in routine police patrols and community caretaking, and the prioritizing of calls so that some nonlife threatening responses (car theft, vandalism, etc.) will be limited to phone contact. If you think this is far-fetched, it is already policy in Trenton.
• 8. Elimination of school-related programs: DARE, Driver Education, Gang Awareness Training, and Impaired Driver Training. This will seriously impact the life-skills education of our youth.
• 9. At the end of 2011, property owners will be notified that the township will no longer provide trash pickup, and that they will have to contract individually or as groups with private firms for garbage removal. If you think that will never happen, consider Lumberton down the road. A very similar situation is on the ballot for their Tax Cap Waiver Referendum.
• 10. Property Values and Quality of Life. At this point, you are probably thinking, why can’t they just lay some employees off to make up the difference? In 2001, township taxes were lowered dramatically. For the next four years, they were flat, which was unwise, since costs for fuel, gas and electric, benefits, etc., all rose. From 2006 to the present, the committee shared, merged, and consolidated where it could, and the number of Township employees decreased to the bare minimum that exists today. During that time also, the Local Purpose Use Rate increased enough each year to cover increasing costs.
My personal opinion is that it is worth an extra $15.25 each quarter to maintain the quality of life we enjoy here in Bordentown and, frankly, to protect the value of my home and your home. If you agree, regardless of your politics (and my disagreements with the current committee are pretty well known), I would urge you to vote YES on the Cap Waiver Referendum, and encourage your neighbors to do so also. The cost is nothing compared to the consequences.
The writer is a former Committeeman and Mayor of Bordentown Township

