Candidates for Township Committee talked about finances, taxes and the running of government this week. Five men are seeking two three-year terms.
Hillsborough is the most efficiently run local government in our area, claimed the Republicans.
But their Democratic opponents said that’s hard to say for sure.
Comparing per capita spending with neighboring townships, Hillsborough spends the least per capita, at $692 per resident — a 5% reduction from 2009, said Republicans Carl Suraci and Greg Burchette.
Bridgewater spends $863, Franklin $886 and Montgomery $1,518 per resident, they said.
Democrats Michael Goldberg and James Farley said such a comparison isn’t that clear cut. For instance, Franklin includes its library in its municipal budget, where Hillsborough has a separate line item for its share of the county system, they said.
”The only reasonable comparison between towns is tax rate,” said Mr. Goldberg. “That is what each town decides to assess its residents and businesses to support the services that town has chosen to offer and takes into account other variables. In 2011 the tax rate in Bridgewater was .240, Franklin .371, Montgomery .304. Hillsborough was .302. So it is clear Hillsborough is hardly the most efficient-run government.”
Independent candidate Judd Mandel said, “If elected, I would look for waste and inefficiencies in our town… I’d love to reinvigorate local businesses and provide Township Committee support for them.”
The township is realizing energy savings with solar, he said, but it could look to reduce spending in material waste, water management and energy usage reductions, said Mr. Mandel.
Mayor Suraci said Hillsborough’s Republican leadership has made “the difficult, but business-like, choices rather than use the available loopholes to cover the accumulative reduction of $1.4 million in state aid since 2007.”
In the 2012 budget, spending was reduced by $1.6 million from the previous year, making it the lowest municipal budget since 2006, they said.
Mr. Mandell said the township should consider not going to the 2% cap increase, but bring expenditures down further.
The GOP candidates said the 2012 budget included 73 appropriation line items that were either reduced or frozen from the previous year. This included further reducing the number of full-time positions, which is down 8 per cent over the past 5-year period, the Republicans said.
”A key component to reducing spending and holding the line on taxes is by refusing to borrow in order to spend,” said the Republicans. “In fact, having implemented a ‘pay-as-you-go’ capital improvement plan since 2003, and a debt reduction plan since 2006, has provided taxpayer savings of over $450,000 in interest payments in 2012 and over $1.2 million year-to-date.”
The Democrats pointed out the township bonded in 2008 to buy 40 acres at the GSA Depot “they identified as immediately available for development. We are paying interest on that property and to date no developer has stepped forward.”
Shared service agreements with other municipalities for health service and courts netted taxpayer savings of about $100,000 in 2012, the Republicans said. Hillsborough leverages joint purchase agreements to procure equipment, fuel and supplies at lower costs, the Republicans said.
Democrats said many municipalities save by buying this together. They said the GOP did away with a grants and shared services committee that might have identified even more savings.
Mr. Mandell said it should be “a given” that the Township Committee and neighboring communities collaborate and find ways to minimize our tax burden.
Republicans said the net result of their efforts has been the ability to keep municipal spending the lowest in the area and to stabilize taxes with no reduction in services.
Mr. Goldberg called that statement “on the surface a ridiculous premise.”
”How can significant cuts in expenses not result in any reduced services unless the township was so poorly managed over the years they are now finally running it efficiently? It cannot be both,” he said. “And if the township could have reduced the number of employees by 8 per cent over five years without sacrificing services, why did they not reduce the staff five years ago? “
Mr. Mandel said the salaries and benefits of government employees need to be aligned with current private industry rates.
Republicans pledged to “watchdogs of every tax dollar,” but Mr. Goldberg said hiring a township administrator “without a semblance of a search for the best-qualified candidate and then paying him top dollar violates sensible business practices that require hiring the best person at the lowest cost.”
He said that keeping a business advocate on staff at salary of more than $50,000 per year when that “advocate” with questionable overall results “is basically watching our tax dollars being wasted.”
Mr. Mandel called for efforts to spur more ratables.
”Instead of resting on the laurels of those in charge, we need to react to a sluggish economy by creating policies that encourage the growth of local economies,” said Mr. Mandel. “Strong local businesses will generate more tax revenue so that the rate increases for residents will not be as painful.”

