By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
Not surprisingly, election challengers grade the Township Committee much lower than the two incumbents on three issues: property taxes, meeting affordable housing requirements and how the off-track wagering site application was handled.
The two men on the governing body — Carl Suraci and Greg Burchette, who are Republicans — give themselves and their colleagues straight-As on the three issues. None of the challengers Ann Harris and Laurie Poppe — both Democrats — and independent Susan Gulliford issue marks no higher than C on any issue, with Harris and Poppe handing out failing marks on some issues.
The five are contesting for two three-year seats on the Township Committee in the Nov. 3 election.
Ms. Poppe and Ms. Harris “fail” the Township Committee on its handling of the application for the off-track wagering facility and restaurant that opens this weekend on Route 206 in the northern part of the township.
“There was a total lack of transparency in how the township handled this application and their untimely responses to the off-track wagering facility after the fact,” said Ms. Harris. She claimed the township didn’t disclose information and didn’t file a public records act request to see the full application until after the public hearing in July.
Ms. Poppe called the $30,000-a-year payment in lieu of taxes for the OTW “an embarrassment,” especially when the former restaurant paid $42,000 a year.
The Township Committee says it made the best deal possible with the PILOT. Without an agreement, the applicant could have appealed to the state for a tax abatement.
“There was always the possibility that is part of the OTW law that the facility could have been opened and no taxes could have been paid to Hillsborough,” said Mr. Burchette.
Ms. Gulliford, who gave a grade of D, said it was “disingenuous for the Township Committee to continue to claim that they didn’t know about the proposed off-track wagering facility until late in 2014 when the application shows otherwise. Even the applicant clearly recognized the spring 2013 visits to Hillsborough as a ‘heads-up’ to our officials.”
On taxes, Republicans point to what they claim is a sterling record of fiscal prudence. In fact, Mr. Burchette gave a grade of A+. He pointed to the township’s upgraded bond rating, which will mean lower costs for borrowing money, in the last year.
Mr. Suraci said few local governments can make the claim, as Hillsborough can, that they stayed within the 2 percent cap on property tax increases without taking any allowable exceptions that would have legally increased the tax bite.
“We have viewed the 2 percent cap as a ‘hard’ cap, saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars by rejecting any of the allowable exceptions while maintaining the services that Hillsborough residents have come to expect and deserve,” Mr. Suraci said.
The two Democrats gave their highest grade — a ‘C’ — to the Township Committee on taxes. Ms. Poppe said a 2 percent rise in taxes “is still an increase.”
“The budget needs to be evaluated and taxes need to be modified. Spending and budgeting needs to be based on a plan that addresses both today’s needs and tomorrow’s concerns,” Ms. Poppe said.
Giving a ‘C’ grade, Ms. Gulliford said it appeared to her that taxes should be decreasing given that low-taxed farmland is being converted into residential homes — “often very expensive homes, and entire developments are appearing.”
“With this change from the extraordinarily low agricultural property tax rate and undeveloped properties to the high-end residential rate, it seems as though the municipal share of the taxes of older houses should be decreasing,” she said.
On affordable housing, the Republican candidates gave the governing body an ‘A.’ Both pointed to ever-changing and onerous state mandates that has practically forced Hillsborough to approve development.
“One can look no further than the new development on Route 206 across from the United Rental as an example of the impact that affordable housing has on a community such as Hillsborough,” said Mr. Suraci. “Fortunately, we acted ahead of the curve hiring some of the best affordable housing planning professionals. We were able to leverage credits available in the Round 3 rules (which are still in effect) to reduce our original obligation by approximately one-third.”
Mr. Burchette, who said he has been a Planning Board member for the past 11 years, called affordable housing issue “an arduous and expensive state mandate that changes at least yearly.”
Ms. Gulliford, though, said “it seems as though Hillsborough is doing zoning by court decree due to a legal mis-step by Hillsborough many years ago, and it is not going well for Hillsborough’s residents. Every time a developer files an application that includes some low- or moderate-income housing, the developers run roughshod over Hillsborough with threats of court action.”
She issued a grade of ‘D.’
She saw this in the nearly 400 units of apartments and commercial building going up on Route 206 near Valley Road, and in the two approved “300-foot-long” apartment buildings on Amwell Road opposite Pleasant View Road.
Democrat Harris gave a ‘D.’ She was critical of the tax abatement granted to the builder of those planned apartments that will exempt the school portion of taxes.
“When abatements of 30 years are allowed for school taxes in the affordable housing units, the cost must be absorbed by the taxpayers or the school board must deal with fewer services in their budget,” she said.
In issuing a grade of ‘F,’ Ms. Poppe said, “Last-minute decision-making has resulted in little to no control over where affordable housing will be constructed in Hillsborough.” She was critical of the placement of housing, which will include 52 units for disabled persons, “on one of our only four-lane roads far from grocery stores, easily accessed recreational opportunities and other necessary services.”
Editor’s note: The full answers for each of the five candidates will be posted on the web at hillsboroughbeacon.com.
