Millstone drops Freehold Township
for Monmouth County
By: Frank C. D’Amico
MILLSTONE – The Township Committee has decided to switch from using the Freehold Township Board of Health to the Monmouth County Board of Health in order to obtain more services.
At its Sept. 6 meeting, the committee voted 3-2 in favor of the switch.
Committeemen Charles Abate and Bill Nurko voted against the move because they said they wanted more time to compare the two organizations. Bill Kastning, Evan Maltz and Mayor Cory Wingerter favored the change.
Freehold has been charging $40,000 a year for its services, but wanted to raise its fees to $53,000, Mayor Wingerter said.
Monmouth County charges between $63,000 and $65,000 a year for its services.
County fees are accrued from property taxes, with the county establishing the tax rate for the services. The Freehold fee came from Millstone’s operating budget, which also is largely funded through property taxes. However, local officials had control over the tax rate.
The committee will take this new arrangement into consideration when it is preparing for the new budget in March, he said.
"I wanted a board of health which would provide better services and was better equipped," Mayor Wingerter said.
Mr. Kastning, who voted in favor of the switch, said the county will help with watershed testing and management, an area where Freehold couldn’t provide service.
A likely increase in development was another factor, Mr. Kastning said.
He said with more houses being constructed, it would be more advantageous to have a larger board to deal with the township’s issues, mainly septic system management.
Mr. Kastning also said the county was "better-connected" with state agencies.
Upper Freehold Township, which also utilizes the Freehold Township Board of Health, was scheduled to hear a presentation from the Monmouth County Board of Health.
Barbara Bascom, Upper Freehold Township administrator, said the township is considering switching from Freehold to Monmouth County because the township might require more attention in the future.
The county board will servicing Millstone in January 2001 and the contract is renewable on a yearly basis, Mr. Kastning said.