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OCTOBER 2010 - LOCAL NEWS CLIPS
Praise for officials who made Village a real attraction (The Daily Journal, Opinion, 10/30/10) Mary Motter, volunteer in the Buena Vista Township Welcome Center in Richland's Patcong Model Railroad building's opinion on Richland Village. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Buena Vista Twp. election is about the best candidates (The Daily Journal, Opinion, 10/30/10) Mayor Chuck Chiarello talking to residents regarding candidate for Township Committee. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Buena Vista GOP candidates would cut bad spending (The Daily Journal, Opinion, 10/28/10) Mike Rivera's reply to Mayor Chuck Chiarello's Letter to the Editor. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
4-way race in Buena Vista election (The Daily Journal, by Joseph P. Smith, 10/26/10) The two Democratic candidates are longtime Committeeman Peter Bylone and newcomer Richard Harlan. The two Republicans are Henry Coia and Mary Ann Micheletti-Levari. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Cranberry growers look to future of crop as new varieties yield more barrels,
heartier fruit (Press of Atlantic City, by Lee Procida, 10/24/10) They had been plucking, collecting, cleaning and hauling berries for two weeks, seven days a week, for long hours each day, and Shawn Cutts was looking forward to finally finishing sometime Monday. “To me, this is the more enjoyable time of the year, actually,” he said. “Getting to pick the berries you’ve worked all year on.” Earlier this year, farmers were cautiously optimistic they would see plenty of large, high-quality fruit in New Jersey despite initial concerns about intense heat and sunlight damaging crops. Cutts said those factors did turn out to be an issue, since the sun essentially cooked many berries and made them unusable, a problem the next largest producing state, Massachusetts, had as well. As a result, farmers expect New Jersey’s production to be lower than an initial projection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of 530,000 barrels, or 53 million pounds, which was already lower than the 555,000 barrels produced last year. Meanwhile, Wisconsin, by far the largest domestic cranberry producer, had the exact opposite problem. Too much rain led to higher than normal mold and fruit rot, even though the state was predicted to increase production by 10 percent this year. “The only thing that is entirely predictable about farming is it’s unpredictable,” said Shawn’s father, Bill Cutts. Oversupply of berries But Bill Cutts doesn’t consider this year’s problems such a bad thing because steadily increasing production in North America has created an oversupply. New Jersey farms have been producing more on average thanks to improved techniques as well as new varieties of berries released by Rutgers University scientists a few years ago, which are just now starting to show their full potential. At the Lee family farm just north on Route 679 from the Cutts farm, Steve Lee IV said the new cranberries are showing dramatic improvements over those grown in the past. One variety, called Crimson Queen, yielded 421 barrels per acre in a bog that had only grown 256 barrels per acre before. Another, Demoranville, yielded 368 barrels per acre, another record in that particular bog for the Lees. “When you have the Rutgers varieties that are able to produce like that, it’s kind of hard to argue not to make that investment,” Lee said. Nick Vorsa, director of the Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research in Washington Township, was the lead researcher on those varieties, which not only yield more but are larger and heartier. Rutgers, which gets funding from Ocean Spray, the grower-owned cooperative that includes most New Jersey cranberry farmers, is in the process of patenting another variety that would mainly be used for fresh fruit because of its intense and uniform color. Most cranberries grown in New Jersey are processed and put in sauce and juice. That’s because most farms here harvest using water, in which they fill the bogs with water, knock the berries from their vines so they float to the surface and then funnel them into a tube that sucks them up into a truck. The berries are bruised using that technique, whereas berries eaten fresh are picked using machines that take them right from the vine without using water — a less efficient process but less harmful to the fruits’ skin. Vorsa said he is optimistic that his newest variety, so far identified by a string of letters and numbers, will produce an all around more attractive berry. “We’re trying to come up with a more romantic name,” he said. Can’t trust the weather The Cutts family has only planted a one-acre bog with Crimson Queen at their 650 acre farm, 120 acres of which are bogs. It is too early to determine how that planting will do, but the company is in the process of renovating 67 acres of bogs on Route 542 in Washington Township, where they plan to plant all of the new Rutgers varieties. That is essentially its only option for expansion, since state environmental regulations restrict developing wetland areas where cranberries are grown. In fact, the family leases its land from the state, since a previous generation sold it in the 1970s, thinking there would not be another generation to take up the tradition. But they did, and this year Shawn Cutts estimated they would produce about 17,000 barrels, an average number, although down from the 23,000 produced last year. “The dry weather knocked us down quite a bit,” he said, guessing that the berries would otherwise have been bigger. “But I think in the end the damage wasn’t as bad as we feared.” On Thursday, relatives from Tabernacle, where the Cutts farmers live, as well as Texas, Alabama and Tennessee, either raked berries into a suctioning machine or picked out leftover vines and weeds. Mason Cutts, 4, chased Toby, a Yorkie-schnauzer mix, down one of the dikes dividing the bogs. The dog outran him, so he stopped and picked up some berries to toss back in the water. The family took a lunch break by one of the company’s former labor camps, which served a former blueberry operation but has been abandoned since the 1960s. When they returned to the bogs, the wind caused waves to shake the plume of cranberries on the bog water, and rain clouds rolled in on what was supposed to be an entirely sunny day. “You can’t trust the weatherman all the time in this industry,” Shawn Cutts said. “If you do, that’s when you get burned.”
New Jersey Conservation Foundation names Ocean County preserve after last
original member of Pinelands Commission (Press of Atlantic City, by Rob Spahr,
10/24/10) "I'm an Oregonian. When I hear ‘mountain,' I expect to see a mountain. Or at least a hill of some sort," said Ashmun, 86, who now lives in Bernards Township, Somerset County. But on Saturday afternoon, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation named the relatively flat "mountain," and the 4,000-acre preserve that it is part of, after Ashmun. Ashmun is the acting chairwoman of the state Pinelands Commission and is the only original member of the commission who is still active. She also is the founding member of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions and the State Planning Commission. "She's the woman with the whip who gets things done," joked Michele S. Byers, executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, of which Ashmun also is a longtime volunteer. "But seriously, she is probably the most staunch and dedicated conservation leader in the history of New Jersey. And she brings an enormous amount of energy and knowledge to dealing with the important land preservation issues we face here." Byers said officials have wanted to dedicate a preserve to Ashmun for years but did not have the "right" property until the last 700 acres of the preserve at Forked River Mountain — which extends from Wells Mills Park to Lacey Township — were obtained last year. "This is one of the few remaining wilderness areas in New Jersey, meaning it's not crossed with paved roads and there are no landmarks to guide you. And this is huge considering that we're in New Jersey - the most densely populated state in the union," Byers said. "So it really is fitting that we name it after Candy." The land also is home to many rare and threatened plants and animals, such as the Pine Barrens gentian and the Pine Barrens tree frog. Ashmun, who graduated from Smith College in 1946 with a degree in physics, said she had no choice in becoming an environmentalist. "If you came from Oregon, you're going to be involved in the environment," she said. The grandmother of eight also joked that she had no choice in joining the Pinelands Commission, of which she has been a member since 1979. "I got a call one day, and they said, ‘We need a female and an environmentalist, and you're it,'" she said. But with family and friends by her side, many of whom traveled from out of state to share the moment with her, Ashmun expressed what the dedication really meant to her. "Of all of the things one would want, having acres preserved in their name is the best," she said. "And when you think of how sensitive this particular area is, given the ecology and that the Forked River is right here, this is very exciting. Very exciting."
Local Business Report: Comar's charity drive benefits the homeless (The Daily Journal, 10/23/10) Comar begins their fall food and clothing drive. Comar accepting donation from 9 am to 4 pm Mondays through Fridays. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
At election time, dealing with 'fear of the unknown' (The Daily Journal, Opinion, 10/22/10) By Mayor Chuck Chiarello about election season. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Towns getting hit; they need help soon (Press of Atlantic City, by Opinion, 10/17/10) No doubt about it: New Jersey municipalities got clobbered this year on several fronts. Not only did local revenues drop, but the state cut aid to towns in myriad ways. As detailed in two recent Press reports, small municipalities that contain a large amount of tax-exempt, preserved land got 35 percent less this year in state aid designed to offset that ratable loss. And towns both big and small saw cuts in the amount of aid that was originally meant to compensate municipalities for loss of property-tax revenue due to utility infrastructure. The money, raised by taxes on utilities, represents the biggest part of the state's aid to many municipalities. Some municipalities experienced dramatic cuts in the utility-fund aid, while others saw increases, since the formula is no longer directly tied to the amount of utility infrastructure in a town. The total aid doled out from the utility fund has barely risen since the gross-receipts system was changed in 1997. Since 2006, total aid from the fund has been frozen at $788.5. During that time, the state's revenues from utilities rose from $1.4 billion to $1.8 billion. The fact that the state is sucking up more of the rising revenue it receives from utilities is hardly surprising. But the aid cuts add to the financial pressure on municipalities - and, of course, property taxes. A few municipal officials would like the gross-receipts system to go back to what it was before the state started collecting the gross receipts tax revenue in 1979 - a system in which utilities paid towns directly for the loss in property-tax revenue. That's unlikely to happen. And with the state staring at a shortfall of up to $10.5 billion next year, there's little chance that state government will be any more generous next year- either with the utility-fund money, with other state aid or with money to compensate small towns for preserved land. Municipalities must be given a way to deal with shrinking revenue and the new, stricter cap on property-tax increases. The easy cuts have been made - and while some municipalities undoubtedly still have some fat left to trim, many are beginning to chip at bone. The state Legislature must give local governments the tools they need to hold down property taxes and reduce the big cost drivers, salaries and benefits. So far, the Legislature has not acted in any meaningful way to enact Christie's 33-point tool kit. A bill before a Senate committee Thursday was aimed at reforming the binding arbitration system that has driven up the salaries and benefits for police and fire to such high levels. The bill was listed for discussion only; the committee took no action. The foot-dragging must stop. And lawmakers should not water down these bills until they are virtually meaningless, which has been done with similar measures in the past. Local governments need relief - now.
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP - The township unveiled Saturday afternoon a steel beam from the World Trade Center that it mounted at its Sept. 11 memorial at Saw Mill Park on Route 40. The Buena Vista Exchange Club applied for the commemorative piece from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and in a short ceremony officials dedicated it to the memory of those who lost their lives that day. Mayor Chuck Chiarello said that no matter how near or far people live from New York City, all Americans are linked by that day's events and the heroism so many people showed. "I remember the night of Sept. 11, 2001, when every firehouse had their doors open and they were ready to go at a moment's notice," he said. Next year, on the attack's 10-year anniversary, the township also plans to dedicate a descriptive plaque at the site to go along with the beam, which it only recently received. "We really feel we have a piece of history and a long-term remembrance of that tragedy," Chiarello said.
A cat was apparently shot in the eye with an arrow in the Collings Lakes section of Buena Vista Township, and authorities are looking for the person responsible, State Police said. Troopers from the Buena Vista barracks were called at 10 a.m. Thursday and found a cat with a small arrow stuck in its eye, police said. The animal was rushed to a veterinarian. Nancy Beall, president of the Atlantic County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said an investigator will go to the scene today to interview neighbors. The cat is recovering, she said. "We're definitely going to investigate it," Beall said. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the SPCA at 609-927-9059 or Trooper Eric Ayala of the Buena Vista barracks at 609-561-1800.
The legislative map of New Jersey looks like it was drawn by an overcaffeinated commuter in rush-hour traffic. Political boundary lines follow no obvious geographical rhyme or reason, instead resembling puzzle pieces with strange peninsulas and weird shapes like Rorschach inkblots. The map seems to largely ignore county borders, socioeconomic similarities or spatial proximity. But to Republicans and Democrats, the map makes perfect sense. The primary goal: Propel candidates to the Statehouse in Trenton. Early next year, in keeping with the state constitution, the parties will shuffle the map’s boundaries to reflect population shifts documented by the 2010 Census. Republicans and Democrats alike hope to use the new numbers to their advantage in March, when a 10-member commission meets to divvy up New Jersey’s 40 legislative districts. Some will get bigger; others smaller. And political futures could change. The stakes are high. After both the 1990 and 2000 Census, the party that won the redistricting battle took control of the state Legislature at the polls. “In September, it’s an interesting parlor game but nothing more,” said state Democratic Party Chairman John S. Wisniewski. “It really gets into reading tea leaves.” Likewise, Republicans are keeping their strategy close to the vest. “The only goal is to get a fair and constitutional map. The politics will take care of itself,” state Republican Party Chairman Jay Webber said. Contrary to their public stance, both parties privately take the process very seriously, spending months preparing their strategies before the final census numbers are released. By redrawing the maps, the committees have the potential to change the political complexion of southern New Jersey. A similar system will redraw congressional districts on the national stage in 2012. New Jersey is expected to lose one of its 13 congressional seats to reflect population growth in other regions of the country, according to a study by Election Data Services. That means the remaining districts, including the heavily rural 2nd Congressional District occupied by U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, could get even bigger. On the state level, the sprawling 1st Legislative District encompasses all of Cape May County. But it also has small pieces of Atlantic County and the population core of Cumberland County: Millville and Vineland. Democrats, led by state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, control the legislative delegation. He’s been thinking about the possibilities. Scenarios “There is a scenario where the 1st (District) could gain all of Cumberland County. We have a majority of the county population already,” he said. “In that case, we would lose the Buenas and Somers Point.” Under another strategy, the district could pick up Corbin City, Weymouth Township and Estell Manor in Atlantic County, he said. Republicans are making their own plans, hoping to unseat the entire 1st District delegation. Both parties must appoint their commission members by Nov. 15. “In Cumberland, we now control 10 of the 14 municipalities,” County Republican Party Chairman Robert V. Greco said. “We’re seeing Republican numbers on the rise. What’s the most vulnerable here? It’s the Assembly in the 1st District. We should be able to gain a seat there.” Greco said Republicans would have a harder task if Democrat-controlled Bridgeton or the outlying townships moved from the 3rd to the 1st District. “The complaints about redistricting generally come from the political spectrum,” he said. “How it impacts one party over another.” The map does not win elections, Cumberland County Democratic Party Chairman Lou Magazzu said. “Candidates win because of the quality of the candidates and their message, not the configuration of the district,” he said. “You still need good candidates.” Magazzu said he is pleased with the map now. But he would not object to consolidating the entire county into a single district. Perhaps more than any other district in New Jersey, the 1st District is hard to pigeonhole, he said. “I have some of the wealthiest towns in the United States of America — Stone Harbor and Avalon. And some of the poorest towns — in Cumberland County,” he said. “The population is diverse, the business communities are different. One is based on manufacturing. Cape is very much toward tourism. And my Atlantic County piece is focused on gaming.” Van Drew said he likes the way the district is drawn up now. But he expects it will only get bigger geographically because of population declines in Cape May County. “It means my 4-year-old car with 200,000 miles on it will probably have a few more,” he said. 2nd District The 2nd District, which encompasses most of Atlantic County, and the 9th District, which includes parts of Atlantic and and Burlington counties and most of Ocean County, are expected to shrink under redistricting, according to a 2008 study by Rutgers University professor Ernest C. Reock Jr. Census numbers are expected to show these parts of the state — along with the rural northwest — had the greatest population increase in the past 10 years. State Sen. James Whelan, D-Atlantic, said he likes the makeup of his district, which includes all of Absecon Island, its suburban townships and outlying farming communities. “That’s one of the things I enjoy about the 2nd District. We have farmland and urban centers,” he said. “If I had my way, I’d keep the district intact.” The power of incumbency is weakest in the year after redistricting, when candidates must court voters in new areas. “It’s possible you could lose areas where you were strong. Maybe I pick up a chunk of Burlington County where I’m not as well-known. I don’t know,” he said. “From the very selfish, political standpoint, I’ve been in this district two terms. It’s worked for me.” But Whelan said lawmakers ultimately have little control over the maps. “I can’t worry about it. As it plays forward, it will be what it will be,” he said. With a growing population, Ocean County is expected to buck a state trend of smaller voter rolls. That could mean shrinking the three legislative districts that share the county: the 9th in the southern portion, the 10th and the 30th, county Republican Party Chairman George Gilmore said. Population projections suggest each district will have about 218,000 residents, he said. Fairness “If you speak to Republicans, they think the map has not been a fair map. If you look at the percentage of Republicans or Democrats, it’s not reflected in the number of legislators sent to Trenton,” Gilmore said. But the numbers do not bear that out. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 1.7 million to 1 million in New Jersey, according to the state Division of Elections. At the Statehouse this year, Democrats actually hold a slightly smaller proportional edge in the number of seats. Redistricting can be most effective when it divides one heavy leaning district into two or even three, as happened in 2000 in the state’s largest city, Newark. “The Democrats will try to make it as unpalatable as possible for the Republicans, and vice-versa,” Van Drew said. The map is a zero-sum game, which means that for every same-sized town that is included in one district, another must be excluded somewhere else. This can be frustrating for border towns such as Buena Vista Township. “I know it’s coming upon that time when we’ll be another pawn in the chess match of life called redistricting,” Mayor Chuck Chiarello said. “We’ve been in three different districts since I’ve been in office.” His town is in the 1st District with Cape May County. Formerly, it shared districts with Atlantic County in the 2nd and with Camden and Gloucester counties in the 4th. “I’d rather stay in one place and know what we’ve got than be shuffled around. But since we’re in the tail-end of the districts, we tend to be in a pivotal point to being moved,” he said. Chiarello and Somers Point Mayor Jack Glasser said they would prefer to rejoin the 2nd District with the rest of Atlantic County. After all, the towns have more in common with their Atlantic County neighbors than any others. But in a sprawling place where people relate more to their villages and hamlets than to township borders, he is used to this changing identity. “We have 11 post offices and two area codes,” he said. “We have fought for years to let people know they live in Buena Vista, not Newtonville, Milmay or Richland.” Voters who feel disenfranchised can protest the redrawn maps in court, said Eric Davis, a professor of political science at Rutgers University. “Courts are reluctant to get involved in redistricting,” he said. “It’s difficult to prove intent. It can turn into a long and messy business.”
WATCHDOG REPORT: New Jersey takes bigger and bigger slice of
towns' utility taxes (Press of Atlantic City, by Juliet Fletcher, 10/9/10)
With a chart on gross receipts aid Findings
The greatest tax-relief asset for New Jersey’s local taxpayers may be hovering overhead or buried under the ground. Either way, the tax relief is increasingly out of reach for municipal budget officers. New Jersey energy and utility companies have laid miles of water mains and strung millions of feet of power lines to reach their customers in towns, cities and rural areas. The physical presence of those pylons and pipes prohibits development of that space, depriving municipalities of potential property tax revenue. Once, the utilities paid money in lieu of those taxes directly to the municipalities. In 1979, the state took over collection of the money, promising to send it back to municipalities as property tax relief. But state government began taking a cut — and that take is growing. It’s gotten to the point where mayors now say the relief no longer comes near the amount the energy companies once paid. Prompted by reductions of as much as 26 percent in the energy tax-receipts aid to some towns this fiscal year — at a time when Gov. Chris Christie will force municipalities to adhere to a tight tax cap next year — some local mayors are calling for a renewed focus on bringing the money back to areas with a large utility presence. Some even want control of the money to be put back in the hands of the towns’ government leaders. The state estimates it will take in $1.8 billion in taxes from utilities this year. That total, which includes taxes unrelated to infrastructure, has risen from $1.4 billion since 2006. The state kept more than $1 billion for its state budget this year, the first time New Jersey has kept so much. In the same period, the amount distributed to towns statewide has remained frozen at $788.5 million. Their share comes out of the sales and corporate business taxes and the Transitional Energy Facilities Assessment. Bill Dressel, head of the League of Municipalities, described the increase in municipal operating costs in recent years as “runaway.” “Costs (ranging) from health care to even our own energy bills can’t be capped. So how are we living under a cap while missing revenues that were always meant to reimburse towns?” he asked. State keeps more than half In 2010, the towns’ share of the estimated total represents only 43 percent of what the energy companies paid, according to The Press of Atlantic City analysis of data from the state Treasury and Department of Community Affairs. That money goes into a fund, the Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund. Although revenue from the utilities rose this year, the overall total of aid allocated remained the same. Locally, all but nine of 66 municipalities in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and southern Ocean counties received less money from the state this year than last, under a formula that assesses the local tax rate and income levels. Among them, Atlantic City lost more than $1.2 million, Lacey Township lost nearly $400,000 and Hamilton Township lost about $700,000. Officials in Egg Harbor Township were surprised to find they had lost $700,000 year to year. Utility assets in its boundaries include a gas field and two buildings owned by Atlantic City Electric. But its population has grown in comparison with other towns in recent years, and it is comparatively wealthy. While assessments of municipalities’ utility infrastructure were done in 1997 and are reflected in their aid allocations, all cuts since then have followed an across-the-board formula, equally affecting municipalities with lots of infrastructure and those with none. Since 1997, the state has based each town’s reimbursement not on the amount of utility infrastructure, but through the formula, so the amount of power plants and water lines are not the deciding factor. Mayor James “Sonny” McCullough compares the recent reductions to when the state government first took control of the funds, which were promised at the time as continued property tax relief but quickly wound up supplementing the state’s general fund. At the time, the state argued it was more convenient for utilities to pay one central collector, but pledged to redistribute the money to municipalities. “That, back then, was like a smash-and-grab,” he said. “The problem is, the state has never put it back.” Consistent decline For some towns, the money from utilities has provided services year in and year out: Lacey Township, in Ocean County, where the Oyster Creek nuclear plant is located, received just more than $11 million this year, half a million dollars less than last year. Officials in other towns say they have been losing revenue steadily since the 1970s. Egg Harbor Township, McCullough said, lost more than half of its original allocation after the state took the purse strings of the tax-relief account. “We used to get twice what we do now,” he said last week. The township’s administrator, Peter Miller, said he had corresponded directly with the Board of Public Utilities last year, and was told that utilities in the township paid the state about $14 million. But since the state took over the fund, the revenue to the town has dropped and continues to decline, down to $6.8 million this fiscal year. Likewise, Peter Elco, mayor of Absecon, researched how much his city had lost in year-to-year revenue in that same period. “It looks like 20 percent this year alone,” he said, looking at this year’s numbers. A spokesman for the state Treasury, Andrew Pratt, said of the mayors’ suggestion to change the formula: “Any legislation making a change like this would have to be reviewed on its merits. Clearly, taxpayers would get no benefit from a system that increases the costs of collection, reduces aid to municipalities or increases utility rates for state customers.” Municipalities want the money back The question towns ask now is where they would be financially if the state agreed to let them have the direct revenue from the energy companies, rather than a slice of the relief fund. “We’d be able to use that full amount to offset the problems we have being based in the Pinelands,” said Chuck Chiarello, mayor of Buena Vista Township, a smaller township than Egg Harbor Township but one also restricted to development outside the boundaries of the Pinelands. With less aid this year overall, Buena Vista Township had to lose a couple of employees and faces stiff cost-cutting. McCullough agrees that returning the energy tax funds would make a huge difference. “I think we probably would not have had to increase taxes. That might have wiped that right off this year,” he said. And he argues the timing is right for bringing the money back to the control of the towns themselves, as the governor makes a broad push to make towns financially self-sustaining without aid and continuous tax raises. Other mayors statewide agree. Janice S. Mironov, mayor of East Windsor Township, and Dave Fried, mayor of Robbinsville, both in Mercer County, wrote to the Legislature in May, saying the state should not pare down the energy tax receipts money to towns as if it were aid. They wrote, “In fact, one could argue whether they should be called “aid” at all.” While this fiscal year two revenue streams making up the energy tax receipts fund—water and sewerage gross receipts and franchise taxes, and TEFA, the transitional fund on gas and electric companies — are stable relative to last year’s projections, Fried described Robbinsville as losing nearly $230,000 in aid. And he has joined the call by southern New Jersey officials to bring that money back to towns for good. In May, Christie unveiled a planned “toolkit” for towns, which he said he intended to get passed within weeks of enacting a new property-tax cap. The cap will be law under the next budget cycle, meaning that towns cannot raise tax levies by more than 2 percent without a ballot vote of local residents. The toolkit of proposed legislation was meant to help towns keep their costs under control through contract bargaining reform and a list of about 30 other proposals. But the toolkit does not address the energy fund. McCullough and Chiarello agreed the restoration of energy-tax receipts money to municipalities should be an addition to the toolkit. As Chiarello said, “We’ve been doing without that money for nearly 30 years, but times have changed.”
World Trade Center beam finds home in Buena Vista (The Daily Journal, by Kristina Scala, 10/9/10) The Port Authority of New Jersey and New York donated a piece of steel beam from the World Trade Center which is now part of a display at Saw Mill Park honoring the lives lost. A brief unveiling of the beam will be held in Saw Mill Park at 2:30 pm on Saturday, October 16, 2010. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP - In the drafty historic schoolhouse that now serves as this rural community's town hall, Bass River Township Deputy Mayor Richard Bethea made a prediction about what might start happening here and in other local governments that lost huge amounts of state aid paid to towns with preserved forest land that cannot be taxed. "I think you're going to see a lot of people out on stress leave who have CFO next to their name," Bethea joked, half seriously, about the predicament of chief financial officers. The Washington Township Committee called a special meeting Tuesday night to discuss how to deal with losing funding that compensates towns for having tax-exempt properties within their borders. A crowd of concerned residents and officials attended. The Christie administration's decision to reduce payments to municipalities for their preserved open space received less attention than other budget cuts, but it could be among the deepest felt. Payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOTs, help the most rural communities provide the most basic services, while keeping taxes down since their tax levies are so low. Some learned last Friday that they would receive 35 percent less than they did last year, and others got none at all. Eventually, the state plans to phase out its current $6.5 million in such funding, leaving officials with tiny tax bases to figure out how to keep budgets within a 2 percent increase of the tax levy and maintaining simple programs like trash removal and road repair. Washington received $384,000 less in state aid than it received for 2010's budget. Bass River lost more than $84,000. The cuts in PILOT funding earned little initial notice likely because they mainly affect some of the least populated areas, but area legislators said those areas are also the least able to cope with such losses. "It's a little cruel actually for these towns," said Sen. Jeff Van Drew, R-Cape May, Cumberland, whose hometown of Dennis Township lost about $67,900. "These are tough times," he said, "and some tough decisions had to be made, and this one is particularly hurtful." Many local government officials have said recent cuts at the state level are simply pushing the tax burden onto municipalities, and Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, said he saw this is as just another example. "The state's saving a few nickels here, but the cost to the individual is going to be significant," he said. "It's frankly the ongoing shell game this administration continues to play." Brian Rumpf, R-Atlantic, Burlington, Ocean, said it is simply a matter of the treasury no longer having money to fund the aid provided since 1971, which the legislature last increased in 1999. "I think it's one of the more unfortunate reductions we saw," said Rumpf, whose hometown of Little Egg Harbor Township lost about $78,280. "The impact is still severe," he said. "It would be my hope, moving forward, that as the economy improves we could look to have the funding reflect what previously was allocated." The cuts could also affect groups trying to preserve land, who said having PILOT money in the past made government officials more welcoming to preservation projects. "To remove that would definitely hurt the work that we do," said John Keenan, director of protection for The Nature Conservancy's New Jersey chapter. Keenan said that while town officials would not have a say on private land deals, not having access to state aid may make governments think twice about selling municipal land for open space. Alison Mitchell, a policy director for the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, said she believed municipalities are better off by preserving land anyway, rather than bringing in development and having to pay for the necessary services. "It's true that it may give pause to some people in the community," she said, "but it's still a good deal to taxpayer to have open space preserved." On Nov. 29, mayors from throughout the Pinelands National Reserve will meet in Weymouth Township for the regular Pinelands Municipal Council meeting, and the loss of PILOT money will almost certainly be a topic of discussion. "It's going to take a lot of brainstorming out of the box by these small towns," Bethea said. The residents who gathered Tuesday night offered suggestions like pursuing legal actions, contacting other government officials to work together and working with preservation groups, and agreed that they should not be the only ones paying for land preserved for the sake of the whole state. "It's a lot easier to figure out as a group," Bethea added, "and if you have to do something, it's a lot more affordable."
Rivera approved the spending for Richland Village (The Daily Journal, Opinion, 10/6/10) Letter from Mayor Chuck Chiarello regarding Committeeman Mike Rivera approving spending for Richland Village. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Buena gives EMS billing contract to Berlin firm (The Daily Journal, by Joseph P. Smith, 10/2/10) DM Medical Billing LLC will be handling the billing and bookkeeping for the Buena Borough Division of Emergency Medical Services. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Buena Vista Township is joining the Statewide Insurance Fund as of January 1. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
Those who have supported me should vote GOP (The Daily Journal, Opinion, 10/4/10) Letter by Committeeman Mike Rivera. For complete details go to: www.thedailyjournal.com
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP - Mayor Dudley Lewis traces his ancestry back to the founding of this southeastern Burlington County community in the solitude of the Pine Barrens. The simple country life generations of his family have enjoyed may soon be a much less affordable luxury, though, as the state phases out the aid it pays towns to compensate for their tax-exempt preserved land. Every Oct. 1, the state distributes that aid. But today, local governments can expect about 35 percent less than they received last year as Gov. Chris Christie's budget reduces such funding from $10 million statewide to $6.5 million. That means many municipalities with tiny tax bases, that provide few services and have few options to increase revenues, will have to somehow make up for the money they are losing in the fiscal 2011 budget, with more cuts coming in the future. A number of area municipalities are affected, including Downe Township in Cumberland County, Upper Township in Cape May County and Lacey Township in Ocean County. Washington Township is a unique, and by far the most dramatic, example. State government owns nearly 85 percent of the land here in the heart of Wharton State Forest. The Nature Conservancy and New Jersey Conservation Foundation also own open space here. To compensate for those nearly 55,000 acres, the state gave the township about $1.1 million last year as a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT. That not only funds the entire municipal government budget, eliminating any local purpose tax, but also provides more than $530,000 of the school district's budget. Without that aid, Lewis and his fellow Township Committee members admitted, they have few ideas what to do other than increase taxes astronomically. They already have no full-time employees. Town hall is open for a few hours only one day a week, and volunteers provide their emergency services. "Do I stop funding fire and ambulances?" Lewis said. "Do I stop picking up trash? Do I stop road maintenance and plowing? Because those are my big ticket items." The township has only a few roads and about 650 residents in more than 100 square miles, but it also has to provide for hundreds of campers, hikers, kayakers and canoers that visit the township some weekends. "My view is that we are the largest unadvertised resort in the entire state," said Township Committeeman Barry Cavileer. "It becomes the state's playground," Lewis said, "for which we are responsible." The land preserved there also protects sensitive, globally unique wildlife habitat, endangered species and trillions of gallons of drinking water. "Our local taxpayer should not have to foot the entire bill on that," said Cavileer. When the state created Wharton State Park in the 1950s, it took tens of thousands of acres off municipal tax rolls in exchange for a dime an acre in annual payments. "That was a big issue in Washington Township for a while," said Bill Haines Jr., owner of Pine Island Cranberry Co., the largest business in the township and one of the highest producing cranberry farms in the world. As a former committeeman and Burlington County freeholder, Haines Jr. worked with state legislators to increase that funding to $1 per acre in PILOT money. In 1999, the Legislature increased it substantially, up to $20 per acre if more than 60 percent of a town's land is preserved as open space. That helped many of the most secluded areas with the most sensitive natural lands also stay affordable, since they often have few businesses to take the tax burden off residents but still need to provide basic services. With that aid being cut, those areas will also be the most affected. "Cutting back on aid to any Pinelands or Highlands towns, or any area where the state owns a lot of land, would be hurting the little guy as hard as you could," said Buena Vista Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello, chairman of the Pinelands Commission Municipal Council. "The towns that have these preserved lands have a very low tax base to support their residents," he said. "It would be a hardship on the towns that are least able to have other opportunities to recoup the money." He said that is a fact lost on state officials trying to slash funding without understanding the nuances of how individual municipalities function. "I hate to make this pun, but they often don't see the forest through the trees," Chiarello said. On Tuesday, Oct. 5, officials from Washington and Bass River townships will meet at Washington's town hall to discuss how to keep taxes down in the face of losing so much money. "If they take away that type of funding, I don't think they have any choice but to raise taxes," said Haines Jr., which he said would profoundly affect the township's significant senior population. Many other governments losing such aid have not yet addressed how they will deal with the loss. Downe Township in Cumberland County has no local purpose tax partly because it uses $361,687 in PILOT money to offset its budget, but that may no longer be an option. "The impact of any loss of this funding for Downe Township would be devastating," said Mayor Lisa Garrison, who said her government is already receiving too little money for its open space. Upper Township Mayor Richard Palombo said the acquisition of 16,400 acres of open space in his hometown is almost haunting the municipality. While open space is what many residents enjoy about the township, that means it has fewer opportunities to bring in tax revenue. "I'm not sure how municipalities are supposed to maintain services," he said, "some of which people have come to expect." Lacey Township in Ocean County will get $83,000 less in PILOT money today, adding to a projected deficit next year of about $3 million, Mayor Gary Quinn said. "Certainly not going to be a very good way to end the week," he said. InWashington Township, public employees such as Barbara Somes juggle numerous responsibilities. The longtime resident is emergency management coordinator, a custodian at the historic town hall building on Route 563 and a volunteer firefighter and EMT. Township Clerk Kathleen Hoffman works full time in Mount Holly when she is not in Washington Township for a few hours on Tuesday nights. The deputy clerk works full time in Tabernacle Township, and the township's other professionals share time with other municipalities. The government also shares a court with neighboring Bass River Township, and its school district shares a superintendent, teachers and classroom space with Mullica Township's school district. That translates to limited services, but when combined with county, library, farmland preservation and school district taxes, the average homeowner with a property assessed at $308,898 paid $3,428 in 2009, among the lowest in total tax payments in surrounding communities in Burlington and Atlantic counties. But the township, with so few options for increasing its revenue, will also be cut the most in proportion to how much more open space it has compared to other local governments. Committeeman Cavileer, whose ancestors also were instrumental in the township's founding, said people here might not be able to afford what had always been the most basic of lives due to the state first taking its land, and then deciding not to pay for it. "I just don't think (Gov. Christie's) aware of what he's doing here," Cavileer said. "We have a community where just about everyone knows everybody. That's the way it used to be 50 years ago."
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Address: Buena Vista Township
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