EDITORIAL: Look for a difficult year as Hillsborough faces many challenges
Few would disagree that 2001 was a tough year, with many difficult changes and events facing Hillsborough residents.
But we expect to see an even tougher year in 2002, especially for local leaders and residents. Many troubling issues are gathering like storm clouds on the horizon.
Expect to see a downpour of dissent within two months, as another 25 percent of Hillsborough property owners receive tax assessments with re-valuations.
These assessments will be based on the red-hot real estate market of the fall, not the slightly cooler market that may exist in the winter if the recession forecasts hold true.
This will put half of the township on assessments based on record-high real estate sales, and half on the assessments made in 1996, when the market had begun to recover from the last recession.
It will increase most of these residents’ tax bills by about one-third, and will be followed by thunderous storms of protest.
Add to that the bill coming due for the expansion of Hillsborough classrooms in the last few years and we expect to see some rough weather in April for the school budget.
Following this springtime deluge, the forecast calls for a few months of quiet in the summer before the fall storms form.
With control of the Township Committee at stake in November, Hillsborough can expect some very rough fall weather, indeed.
The seats of Committeewoman Christine Jensen and Deputy Mayor John Gelardi will both be up for election, and local Republicans will be looking to regain control of the township.
In fact, this high-pressure system may cause unstable events throughout the year.
While many residents may consider this forecast gloomy, it’s really only meant to help provide a little insight to some of the possible highlights of the news in 2002.
Like a long-range weather forecast, there are many variables which could drastically alter the events as they unfold.
As Will Rogers said, "If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute."