Ed Zimmerman, Brad Merritt discuss the issues before The Packet editorial board
By: Jake Uitti
ROCKY HILL In many ways, mayoral candidates Brad Merritt and Ed Zimmerman agree with one another on the important issues facing the borough.
There are philosophical differences, however, on the process to achieve those ends.
From their views on the size and scale of the planned Rocky Hill Estates to the presence of the South Bound Brook Police Department, there was marked agreement between the two during an appearance Tuesday before The Packet’s editorial board.
Both candidates said they supported the presence of South Bound Brook police in the borough.
Mr. Merritt, who served on the Borough Council from 1990 to 2002 and returned to the governing body last year, said flatly, "I have at no time said I don’t want South Bound Brook here."
He acknowledged that he has taken issue, however, with how officers have handled their enforcement duties, specifically in response to a car-jacking incident that took place outside the borough on the border with Franklin Township in December. There was a lack of information and a lack of concern on the part of South Bound Brook, Mr. Merritt said.
In May, the Borough Council unanimously voted to approve a one-year renewal of the police service agreement with South Bound Brook. In March, Mr. Merritt was the lone dissenter on extending the contract another two months before the new agreement was in place, citing a lack of information by South Bound Brook Police Chief Robert Verry.
Mr. Zimmerman said he backs the continuing presence of South Bound Brook police.
"I support what South Bound Brook is doing. I support them staying here whether or not the State Police stays here," Mr. Zimmerman said.
Another contentious issue in the borough is the Pulte-Schafer development known as Rocky Hill Estates. In July, the Planning Board approved the project, which calls for 34 age-restricted, single-family homes.
Mr. Zimmerman said the Planning Board handled the application appropriately, given the provision of the borough’s zoning ordinance. He added, however, that in hindsight the ordinance may not have established the best, most stringent guidelines for the application.
"The Planning Board did the right thing, the application met the ordinance," he said. "Do I like the size (of the buildings)? No. Am I happy about the fact that they are (age-restricted) housing? Yes, from a ratables standpoint."
Mr. Merritt said he, too, is not happy with the size of the homes.
"Maybe a dialogue could be opened up" with the developer, he said. "I don’t like the height (of the homes). Maybe with some negotiations it can come down."
One issue on which the mayoral candidates differ is the relationship between the borough and Montgomery Township.
Mr. Merritt said he still sees a vast divide between the two municipalities. He said Montgomery has failed to involve Rocky Hill in the township’s commercial and traffic circulation planning, and noted that the borough is no longer represented on the township’s Transportation Advisory Committee.
"I want to get back into those meetings," Mr. Merritt said, noting traffic was a key issue for the borough, especially on Route 518, known locally as Washington Street.
"When they start talking about loop roads, loop roads are fine as long as they don’t funnel more traffic through Rocky Hill," Mr. Merritt said.
Mr. Zimmerman, who has attended Montgomery Township Committee meetings in which the application by Wawa to build a convenience store and 12-bay gas station on the Rocky Hill border has been discussed, said Mayor George Morren has been "active with Montgomery in trying to rebuild a relationship" with the borough.
Mr. Zimmerman credited Mayor Morren’s involvement, along with the reaction of the borough’s Community Group, with helping to sway Montgomery’s stance on the Wawa application in the borough’s favor. He said, if elected, he would continue on this path.
Mr. Merritt said he was skeptical about Montgomery’s decision to side with the borough on the Wawa issue. "I’d like to see how Montgomery changes after the election," he said.
If the Wawa application is not approved, Mr. Zimmerman said, "Something is going to be there. If Wawa wanted to build a convenience store (without a gas station), I don’t know if I’d have a terrible problem with that."
On the subject of taxes, Mr. Zimmerman emphasized the need to develop long-term financial planning.
"We need to be better at looking longer down the road," he said. "We have a very limited tax base. Costs are coming up. We have to figure out how to better use technology to be more productive."
Mr. Zimmerman noted that there are many young children in the borough who will reach school age soon.
Mr. Merritt charged that areas of the municipal budget under Mr. Zimmerman’s watch have seen dramatic increases in spending. He was especially critical of the buildings and grounds budget, criticizing the cost of the shelter recently constructed behind Borough Hall.
"I know when I was a councilman from 1990 to 2002, we kept an eye on keeping taxes down," Mr. Merritt said. "I think our spending is out of control. There is spending that could be cut. Cutting $15,000 in Rocky Hill is like cutting $200,000 (in a larger municipality)."
Mr. Zimmerman responded that the cost of the shelter, after about $30,000 in grants were used, came to about $9,700 for borough taxpayers. He added the shelter is very popular and much used.
Both Mr. Merritt and Mr. Zimmerman said they support open government and working, and vowed to avoid making the kind of "backroom deals" they said were too common in borough politics in recent years.
Mr. Merritt, 54, has a bachelor’s degree in biology and works in a civilian capacity for the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety’s Division of the State Police, where he oversees dispatching services. He has been with the State Police for 33 years, he said, and will soon retire.
Mr. Zimmerman, 49, holds a degree in computer science from the University of Maryland. He spent many years consulting technology companies and has started several companies of his own. His latest endeavor, JobReq.com Inc., is a recruiting and consulting firm.