To the editor:
On behalf of the Somerset County Board of Freeholders and the residents we serve, I’d like to challenge some of the assertions in your recent editorial.
The view that either the state or municipalities could just as easily deliver the wide range of services provided by county government is simplistic at best. State government (at least in New Jersey) is too remote and most municipalities are too small to efficiently and effectively offer many of the county programs that citizens depend on.
These are programs that residents need and expect; doing away with county government would mean eliminating or at least curtailing many if not all of these vital services.
Last year’s flood emergency and the still ongoing recovery efforts are a prime example. The county’s flood warning system saved countless lives. Our exemplary county Office of Emergency Management coordinated rescue assistance in the affected towns.
When it came time to fight for federal and state flood relief funds, the county government worked very closely with our congressional and state legislative delegations to obtain needed funding. Somerset County took on the task of administering state flood relief grants to small businesses and is still heavily involved in this effort.
Despite the frustrating red tape they encountered at higher levels of government, citizens in Somerset County were able to turn to their county government for prompt, compassionate assistance during this extraordinary time of need.
While it’s true that county government does not have a lot of legislative authority in land use matters, here in Somerset County we’re forging ahead with several unique initiatives designed to improve the quality of life for all 290,000-plus county residents.
Somerset County is leading the state in regional planning. We’ve already gotten 16 out of 21 towns to sign on to a regional planning agreement to work together on large-scale projects. We initiated a Regional Center Partnership to strengthen the three-town center of the county.
And we’re supporting a reintroduction of legislation that will give counties more authority to manage development whose impacts cross municipal borders.
In 1997 and 1998, Somerset County hosted two groundbreaking economic development summits whose purpose was to bring government and business leaders to the table to shape strategies to take us into the new millennium.
The creation of the Somerset Coalition for Smart Growth Inc., a comprehensive business development and attraction entity, was one of these. Business leaders who attended these summits clearly indicated they wanted more involvement from the county, not less, in matters relating to economic vitality.
The bottom line is, Somerset County government is not duplicating programs already provided by the state or municipalities. We offer services that towns, especially smaller ones, simply could not afford to do on their own. We bring a regional perspective and economy of scale to many services.
And we will continue to build upon the partnerships we have with our municipalities to ensure the best quality of life for Somerset County residents and taxpayers.
Rick Fontana
Crim Road
Bridgewater
The writer is Somerset County freeholder director.
