Debra Johnson wants the township to have one community and one political identity.
By: Matthew Armstrong
Having one community and political identity is the driving force behind the mayor’s call for unifying the township under the single mailing address of South Brunswick.
"We are South Brunswick and we should be identified as such," said Mayor Debra Johnson.
The mayor said the postal change would help South Brunswick be identified throughout the state. The recognition as a township rather than separate little villages would give the township more political clout and a unified community identity.
"When it comes to political power and funding, we should have the strength of our entire community and not remain a group of separate villages, said Mayor Johnson.
The township is served by seven post offices, three of which are located in the township Dayton, Monmouth Junction and Kendall Park. The township also is served by post offices in North Brunswick, Jamesburg, Cranbury and Princeton.
Changing the official mailing address to South Brunswick would mean that postal service would have to be consolidated in the three post offices within the township, according to Carl Walton spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service.
"Each little hamlet is special, but each one is part of a whole and the whole is what gets the funding, makes the decisions, and that’s who we are," said Mayor Johnson. "No one knows where we belong. I could be the mayor of South Brunswick and have a Princeton address."
In order to make the postal change, a request would have to be made to the district manager of the post office in Edison for review. This request would likely need to include proof in the form of a survey or a nonbinding referendum that the residents want the switch, said Mr. Walton.
The decision would rest on whether the Postal Service could save money by making the switch, said Mr. Walton.
"It has to be operationally beneficial," said Mr. Walton. "Cost effectiveness would be the deciding factor."
It is unlikely that a switch to a South Brunswick postal address would mean the creation of one single post office for the entire township as a self-imposed nationwide capital spending freeze is currently on the U.S. Postal Service.
"The post office is experiencing financial hardship and there is legislation for postal reform. But until then, there will be no new buildings," said Mr. Walton.
Other area towns have requested, and eventually got, their own postal address in recent years including Hillsborough Township.
Hillsborough requested its own post office and address in 1971, but had to wait until last fall to finally get it. Prior to getting its own post office, Hillsborough was serviced by post offices in surrounding municipalities.
"Before, there simply wasn’t a need enough to justify the costs," said Mr. Walton. "But over the years the township grew and it finally made sense to do it."
No matter what the mayor, the Township Council or the U.S. Postal Service wants, the first decision whether to make a request will depend on the wishes of township residents.
"I don’t understand what the benefits will be, but I’ll keep an open mind," said Joseph Del Guercio resident of Dayton and member of the Dayton Coalition, a residents advocacy group.
The coalition has not met to discuss the possible South Brunswick postal address, but Mr. Del Guercio, speaking as a resident, was skeptical of the proposal.
"I don’t know if a postal address is going to make people in Dayton feel closer to people in Kendall Park in some way or whether it would help us politically. Because we have the address of South Brunswick as opposed to Kendall Park and Monmouth Junction is that going to mean we’ll be able to defeat the MOM line?"
Mr. Del Guercio also warned that while there may be some minor benefits in the long run, the initial changeover would impact many people adversely.
"To me it doesn’t make any difference whether my mail says Dayton or South Brunswick," said Mr. Del Guercio. "But there are a thousand little things that would be affected. I’m a small-business man. I’ll have to go out and buy new business cards, letterhead and envelopes. These kind of things might cause a lot more expense for a lot of people."
Other residents are firmly against the proposal saying that it would detract from the identity and history of the villages within the township.
"I don’t think it’s a good idea," said Anne Zeman, a member of the Kingston Historical Society. If you lose the postal address, you’ll give up part of the connection with the history of these place. George Washington marched through Kingston and then went on to Monmouth Junction. Saying he marched through South Brunswick is like saying he marched through Middlesex County."