As we prepare to turn the calendar page from 2004 to 2005, we mark the end of another year of service to the communities in which our newspaper circulates.
The stories of 2004 have taken their place in the history books, and we look forward to all that the new year holds in store for the region’s residents, officials and businesses.
We expect that the primary issues in the coming year will continue to be the region’s ongoing development, the ever-worsening traffic congestion and New Jersey’s method of funding public education that hits people hard and squarely in the pocketbook.
Will property tax relief be the end result from a New Jersey constitutional convention? While we have supported the idea of such a convention in the past, the passage of time and additional reflection now lead us to believe that the elected Legislature may be the most appropriate forum for this very significant issue to be addressed.
Of course, the Legislature has shown no inclination to tackle the one issue that affects every person in the state who owns property. Is it too much to hope that our elected representatives will eventually do what must be done?
Will 2005 be the year when the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex passenger rail line is finally endorsed by NJ Transit?
An environmental study that has been ongoing for more than a year is expected to be released in the near future. It is critical to the future of this region that an alignment for passenger rail service be recommended.
News will also be made by the elected officials who govern our communities. Local politicians should keep in mind that the primary things residents want from them are safe neighborhoods, modern recreational facilities for people of all ages and adherence to zoning laws such that development occurs in a manner that is consistent with a community’s master plan.
There are, of course, many more issues that residents and government officials will face in the coming year. Some are spe-cific to a particular community and some affect the region in its entirety.
Our hope for 2005 is that those people who have been invested with the power to make decisions do so with the best interests of residents at heart, and not for any ulterior motives that would later leave people questioning their actions.
Happy New Year.