To the editor:
In the Hillsborough Beacon article last Thursday, "Candidates talk about open government," the Republican responses actually show that the current Township Committee operates at a low standard of openness and transparency by their actions.
For example, Republican candidates McCauley and Tomson were quoted as saying the following: "Hillsborough has traditionally enforced notification rules that far exceed the minimum requirements established by the state." My observations differ.
With respect to the off-track wagering (OTW) ongoing issue in Hillsborough, the high standards referenced above are not true. Information was not shared with the public using their highly touted policy. In fact, the Township Committee knew of this proposal many months before they publicly announced the intentions of the OTW developers. Further to the point, the Township Committee had a regular meeting on March 25 and OTW was a significant component of the agenda; however as of Oct. 13 (seven month later), the minutes of this meeting are nowhere to be found on the township website. (Other regular meeting minutes are missing as well.) These actions by our township leaders reflect their inattention to detail and echo their true feelings about open and transparent government.
Another issue regarding the OTW and lack of openness and transparency are the actions of Mayor Tomson. At the OTW forum in April, he repeatedly refused to state his opinion about the project. He declined to comment other than to say he could not make a decision until after the OTW application was submitted to and deemed "complete" by the N.J. Racing Commission.
Mayor Tomson’s comments show his unwillingness to state his personal position on the issue. I ask, do these actions represent the real meaning of open and transparent government or are they simply meeting the letter of the law?
Instead of withholding information from the public for many months, our Mayor and Committee members should have publicly stated their position about the legislation that permits this type of business in our town. They only began to take action after public meetings in which citizens expressed their concerns, after a grass roots petition was signed by thousands of Hillsborough residents, and after an assembly bill was proposed to reinstate home rule.
Voters should keep these kinds of issues at the forefront of their decision when voting on Nov. 4. Vote for John Beggiato and Thuy Anh Le for Hillsborough Township Committee. They know the true meaning of open and transparent. Polls are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Steven Pick
Hillsborough
