Both sides in the race for two Township Committee seats chose to talk about open and transparent government this week in separate, unsolicited releases.
Republican incumbents Mayor Doug Tomson and Committeewoman Gloria McCauley said they "remain committed to providing a standard for openness, accessibility, and transparency in Hillsborough that is second to none."
Democratic challengers Thuy Anh Le and John Beggiato said they will continue to question issues on behalf of residents.
"Hillsborough residents deserve to have information in a timely manner so that they have time to understand proposals that affect the quality of life in our town," their statement read.
The GOP cited openness and accessibility of the Planning Board, an open competitive bidding process for professional contracts, and easy access to municipal information, departments and employees.
Mr. Tomson and Ms. McCauley said they "believe strongly that residents should have complete unfettered access to the business of their local government."
In Planning Board applications, residents receive ample notification of projects, they said. When new zoning is proposed, Hillsborough has traditionally enforced notification rules that far exceed the minimum requirements established by the state, they added. Throughout the process, residents are encouraged to provide input.
The GOP duo said "open government also means providing residents with as much information as possible." They pointed to a redesigned township website that provides access to public documents, archived videos of meetings and other news and announcements.
Residents have access to on-line forms and all sorts of information, from the recycling schedule to the GIS map. In addition, ordinances are available to see at any time and there are links to complete municipal codes.
The township uses state-of-the-art technology to better distribute township information, including real-time updates and announcements via the Honeywell Instant Alert system, the incumbent Republicans said.
Open government also requires easy access to all of municipal departments and employees, the GOP team said. Many township departments now have evening hours "so that all residents can meet with our employees in the most convenient way."
"Open, accessible and transparent government does not happen by accident," the Republican statement said. "It takes a certain type of leadership and commitment" that they and the entire Township Committee "are obligated and honored to provide."
Democrats pointed to how the Township Committee handled an ordinance outlining payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for a proposed off-track wagering facility. The committee introduced the ordinance at one meeting in March and passed it at the next meeting two weeks later, "despite substantive concerns expressed by residents just before they voted," the Democrats said.
They said Mr. Beggiato pressed the township attorney to say that the committee knew of the developer’s proposal for an OTW by the fourth quarter of 2013.
"Little did the Township Committee understand the sentiment of Hillsborough residents," said the Democrats, because residents started both online and paper petitions within days after that ordinance passed.
The Democrats said the "no information has been forthcoming from the Mayor’s office about the status of the application which originally was to have had a hearing with the State Racing Commission in May."
At most meetings, since the spring, the mayor has noted the Racing Commission had yet to deem the OTW application complete and eligible for a public hearing.
Township Administrator Anthony Ferrara has said he makes a call to the state Racing Commission every Tuesday to ascertain the status of the application.
Despite that, Ms. Le asked, "Why doesn’t the Township Committee provide a monthly status update to help residents be aware of the progress of the OTW project? Parents of busy families need advance warning if they want to share their concerns about the OTW facility with the N.J. Racing Commission at the required public meeting."
The Democrats also pointed to last fall’s campaign on a referendum that would have allowed a diversion of dedicated open space tax dollars. They said, "Members of the Township Committee would not say what their plan was for the diverted money or agree to a needs analysis" and said Beggiato and Le were founding members of group that launched a public awareness campaign. That "helped the public to understand the diversion of the Open Space Trust Funds. . ."
Ms. Le and Mr. Beggiato pledged to "lead by gathering good information, involving interested participants from the public, collaborating, communicating and making sound decisions."
