Post by admin on Oct 27, 2009 8:59:09 GMT -5
.This thread is temporarily locked and will be opened in the very near future for all to comment
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2009/1021/front_page/004.html
It is time to really dissect the issues put in front of us by the four candidates. This write up will center around those issues that the candidates have put in front of us as found in campaign literature and news paper articles. These are the things that can be fairly discussed. As always, people are welcome to comment and add their own views. Though I will be sticking to facts and the words of the candidates, my own opinion will be injected here and there.
Lets start with the obvious big baddie-taxes. From the News Transcript:
:Ted Miller: We want a citizens finance and budget committee. Establishing a real atmosphere of transparency and totally straightforward fiscal visibility will assure residential and commercial property owners that we have the lowest possible property tax rates. Like the private sector, government must constantly be engaged in the process of seeking cost-downs and not cutbacks, as well as actively seeking new sources of revenue. This is how we will help assure residential and commercial property owners the lowest possible property tax rates and elevate our quality of life.
Marc Le Vine: I will continue all efforts to control property taxes in town through prudent fiscal management.........
Sharon Shutzer: I think we have worked hard and well in this economic climate to keep this town running smoothly. We are constantly exploring ways to share services with other municipalities. We have cut back on hiring and not replaced several employees who have retired or resigned.We have applied for more and more grants. As companies seriously compete for our business, we have gone out on a limb to take advantage of excellent bids for work that needs to be done. If people are honest and willing to look at the facts rather than fuel misinformation with emotion, they will have to admit that we are and will continue to be fiscally responsible. We have done everything we can within the law to make living in Freehold as affordable as possible. The impending sidewalk program is a perfect example of things we are trying to do for our residents.
Marc Le Vine: Of course, the budget is a chief priority, as we must do our very best to keep Freehold affordable for our residents. In tough times this is a significant challenge. I am part of a progressive team that in 2009 planned and executed an eminently fair and balanced budget:
• We enhanced our recycling programs and still were able to reduce our overall trash collection costs by over $5,000 per month – an annual savings of $60,000.
• We switched insurance carriers and reduced our costs by $200,000 for just one year, so far.
• We replaced all the lighting in borough buildings with more energy efficient fixtures, which should result in lowering our energy costs by one-third after receiving power company rebates.
[b]Ted Miller[/b]: Again, as champions for a contemporary, progressive municipal government, we will fight to encourage more citizen involvement. This will assure more transparent openness, because visibility brings real accountability. This is why Miller and Newman propose a citizens budget and finance committee. Today, residential property owners shoulder too much of the tax revenue burden. We must minimize the tax revenue burden so that the residential property owner is not the primary source of tax revenue........[/color]
I believe that taxes are a strong point for the incumbent Democrats. We have to first start by looking at realities. New Jersey is one of, if not the highest, taxed states in the nation. Monmouth County is not exactly the cheapest county in the state either. With the bad economy, many governing bodies have had to lay off workers and cut services. That is the direct result of revenue decline that everyone is facing. When viewing that in context, Freehold Borough is not is such bad shape. When we match our taxes to the outstanding services we have, our town is far ahead of the curve. Though we saw a modest tax increase this year, it is an amazing feat that the budget was cut and workers were not laid off, all while increasing some services.
On the other hand, the GOP was right to tackle this issue. I know enough about how government works to realize that there is always room for improvement. I do not believe the GOP laid out enough in the way of specifics. They do present one idea that is very worth considering. That of the citizen budget and finance committee. Of course, I have to endorse this because I have written about it on this site as a necessity for our town. At the county level, Barbara McMorrow brought this to the table when she broke the one party rule. At the county level, this concept did produce many cuts that were needed. ( unfortunately, the county still had to lay off many workers) regardless of who wins this election, the residents of our town should demand that this committee be formed.
added after initial post- One issue ( of many) I failed to mention. One interesting action the governing body took in this years budget was to defer pension payments. Many places have done this to save money this year. I have reservations about this because at some point that money has to be paid. It comes across to me as a bit of a gamble.
I tried to separate the issues, but the next one is very tied in with taxes and success of our town- downtown redevelopment and revitalization.
More from the NT:
[b]John Newman[/b]:
The threat of commercialization to our historic neighborhoods are concerns that I want to address on council........Downtown redevelopment needs to be addressed. There were two recent vision studies for downtown Freehold Borough; one by the Freehold Center Partnership (FCP) and the other through the Borough Council. The council needs to work with the FCP, each hand needs to know what the other is doing. The council’s vision study did not address attracting new businesses, but rather focused on a parking garage and uniform exteriors to current business facades as the future for Freehold Borough.
We cannot issue bonds to pay for a parking garage with the hope of it bringing in revenue and ratables; we cannot hope that “if we build it, they will come.” Freehold Borough must first attract new retail stores that will add to our strong restaurant base.
Having been a partner in a business that was part of the Freehold Center Partnership, I believe we need to work more closely with the FCP to bring in that retail. Our biggest challenge lies in competing with Freehold Raceway Mall, which when it was first built was promised to assist our downtown development. Today, I think most residents agree that the mall competes with our town, as opposed to complementing our town. We must meet that challenge and surpass it.
Ted Miller
Freehold Borough should be “Western Monmouth’s Downtown.” A real vision for downtown revitalization must be established with timelines and milestones. Revitalization must include success-driven initiatives to attract sustainable retail as well as major employers who will bring our residents jobs, careers and long-term commercial lease agreements for our commercial property owners. Committed advocacy for the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex railroad, as well our downtown bus station will be part of a well structured “Commuters - Transit Village” economic recovery vision. The primary employer in the borough is the county government. We need to build an economic ecosystem for Freehold Borough. Freehold Borough is ready for a real vision supporting a positive future to exemplify our culturally diverse community. New Freehold Borough leadership will proudly earn statewide and national recognition for outstanding social and economic prosperity.[/color]
There is not much from the Dems in the NT article pertaining to downtown redevelopment. That requires looking at their record which has both ups and downs on this issue. First point, we have been hearing for years that down town is undergoing development and a renaissance. ( I could easily put together a post documenting this alone) There have been both successes and failures, but the bottom line is that the down town and business community still has more work ahead in order to fulfill the true potential our town has. When other down towns were booming during a good economy, we were not keeping up as well. On the plus side, we are sustaining better than most, at least as far as appearances go, in this bad economy. On the plus side, I am sure most people have noticed that this past year saw some real improvements as far as entertainment, keeping restaurants filled, and bringing in visitors. A lot of that credit goes to Rich Gatto who has done well in a short period of time. Also, thanks to borough administrator Joe Bellina, we have seen some really nice ascetic improvements from grants. South Street was done not long ago, and this year we saw parts of Court Street up to the court house done. The sidewalk and other improvements look fantastic and compliment what the county did on their property.
That said, Newman's comments hit some good points. First about the vision studies and another example of the perceived disconnect between the FCP and the council. The vision study the council released was far from impressive. For 35,000 dollars, it was more fluff and less substance. For our town to succeed, we need to see more on Throckmorton, Broad and other areas away from restaurant row.
On the whole, it is a great thing that the restaurant industry and entertainment has improved, I believe the retail quality has declined. Millers comments touch upon some interesting ideas, but are vague and need to be better outlined in the public arena.
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2009/1021/front_page/004.html
It is time to really dissect the issues put in front of us by the four candidates. This write up will center around those issues that the candidates have put in front of us as found in campaign literature and news paper articles. These are the things that can be fairly discussed. As always, people are welcome to comment and add their own views. Though I will be sticking to facts and the words of the candidates, my own opinion will be injected here and there.
Lets start with the obvious big baddie-taxes. From the News Transcript:
:Ted Miller: We want a citizens finance and budget committee. Establishing a real atmosphere of transparency and totally straightforward fiscal visibility will assure residential and commercial property owners that we have the lowest possible property tax rates. Like the private sector, government must constantly be engaged in the process of seeking cost-downs and not cutbacks, as well as actively seeking new sources of revenue. This is how we will help assure residential and commercial property owners the lowest possible property tax rates and elevate our quality of life.
Marc Le Vine: I will continue all efforts to control property taxes in town through prudent fiscal management.........
Sharon Shutzer: I think we have worked hard and well in this economic climate to keep this town running smoothly. We are constantly exploring ways to share services with other municipalities. We have cut back on hiring and not replaced several employees who have retired or resigned.We have applied for more and more grants. As companies seriously compete for our business, we have gone out on a limb to take advantage of excellent bids for work that needs to be done. If people are honest and willing to look at the facts rather than fuel misinformation with emotion, they will have to admit that we are and will continue to be fiscally responsible. We have done everything we can within the law to make living in Freehold as affordable as possible. The impending sidewalk program is a perfect example of things we are trying to do for our residents.
Marc Le Vine: Of course, the budget is a chief priority, as we must do our very best to keep Freehold affordable for our residents. In tough times this is a significant challenge. I am part of a progressive team that in 2009 planned and executed an eminently fair and balanced budget:
• We enhanced our recycling programs and still were able to reduce our overall trash collection costs by over $5,000 per month – an annual savings of $60,000.
• We switched insurance carriers and reduced our costs by $200,000 for just one year, so far.
• We replaced all the lighting in borough buildings with more energy efficient fixtures, which should result in lowering our energy costs by one-third after receiving power company rebates.
[b]Ted Miller[/b]: Again, as champions for a contemporary, progressive municipal government, we will fight to encourage more citizen involvement. This will assure more transparent openness, because visibility brings real accountability. This is why Miller and Newman propose a citizens budget and finance committee. Today, residential property owners shoulder too much of the tax revenue burden. We must minimize the tax revenue burden so that the residential property owner is not the primary source of tax revenue........[/color]
I believe that taxes are a strong point for the incumbent Democrats. We have to first start by looking at realities. New Jersey is one of, if not the highest, taxed states in the nation. Monmouth County is not exactly the cheapest county in the state either. With the bad economy, many governing bodies have had to lay off workers and cut services. That is the direct result of revenue decline that everyone is facing. When viewing that in context, Freehold Borough is not is such bad shape. When we match our taxes to the outstanding services we have, our town is far ahead of the curve. Though we saw a modest tax increase this year, it is an amazing feat that the budget was cut and workers were not laid off, all while increasing some services.
On the other hand, the GOP was right to tackle this issue. I know enough about how government works to realize that there is always room for improvement. I do not believe the GOP laid out enough in the way of specifics. They do present one idea that is very worth considering. That of the citizen budget and finance committee. Of course, I have to endorse this because I have written about it on this site as a necessity for our town. At the county level, Barbara McMorrow brought this to the table when she broke the one party rule. At the county level, this concept did produce many cuts that were needed. ( unfortunately, the county still had to lay off many workers) regardless of who wins this election, the residents of our town should demand that this committee be formed.
added after initial post- One issue ( of many) I failed to mention. One interesting action the governing body took in this years budget was to defer pension payments. Many places have done this to save money this year. I have reservations about this because at some point that money has to be paid. It comes across to me as a bit of a gamble.
I tried to separate the issues, but the next one is very tied in with taxes and success of our town- downtown redevelopment and revitalization.
More from the NT:
[b]John Newman[/b]:
The threat of commercialization to our historic neighborhoods are concerns that I want to address on council........Downtown redevelopment needs to be addressed. There were two recent vision studies for downtown Freehold Borough; one by the Freehold Center Partnership (FCP) and the other through the Borough Council. The council needs to work with the FCP, each hand needs to know what the other is doing. The council’s vision study did not address attracting new businesses, but rather focused on a parking garage and uniform exteriors to current business facades as the future for Freehold Borough.
We cannot issue bonds to pay for a parking garage with the hope of it bringing in revenue and ratables; we cannot hope that “if we build it, they will come.” Freehold Borough must first attract new retail stores that will add to our strong restaurant base.
Having been a partner in a business that was part of the Freehold Center Partnership, I believe we need to work more closely with the FCP to bring in that retail. Our biggest challenge lies in competing with Freehold Raceway Mall, which when it was first built was promised to assist our downtown development. Today, I think most residents agree that the mall competes with our town, as opposed to complementing our town. We must meet that challenge and surpass it.
Ted Miller
Freehold Borough should be “Western Monmouth’s Downtown.” A real vision for downtown revitalization must be established with timelines and milestones. Revitalization must include success-driven initiatives to attract sustainable retail as well as major employers who will bring our residents jobs, careers and long-term commercial lease agreements for our commercial property owners. Committed advocacy for the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex railroad, as well our downtown bus station will be part of a well structured “Commuters - Transit Village” economic recovery vision. The primary employer in the borough is the county government. We need to build an economic ecosystem for Freehold Borough. Freehold Borough is ready for a real vision supporting a positive future to exemplify our culturally diverse community. New Freehold Borough leadership will proudly earn statewide and national recognition for outstanding social and economic prosperity.[/color]
There is not much from the Dems in the NT article pertaining to downtown redevelopment. That requires looking at their record which has both ups and downs on this issue. First point, we have been hearing for years that down town is undergoing development and a renaissance. ( I could easily put together a post documenting this alone) There have been both successes and failures, but the bottom line is that the down town and business community still has more work ahead in order to fulfill the true potential our town has. When other down towns were booming during a good economy, we were not keeping up as well. On the plus side, we are sustaining better than most, at least as far as appearances go, in this bad economy. On the plus side, I am sure most people have noticed that this past year saw some real improvements as far as entertainment, keeping restaurants filled, and bringing in visitors. A lot of that credit goes to Rich Gatto who has done well in a short period of time. Also, thanks to borough administrator Joe Bellina, we have seen some really nice ascetic improvements from grants. South Street was done not long ago, and this year we saw parts of Court Street up to the court house done. The sidewalk and other improvements look fantastic and compliment what the county did on their property.
That said, Newman's comments hit some good points. First about the vision studies and another example of the perceived disconnect between the FCP and the council. The vision study the council released was far from impressive. For 35,000 dollars, it was more fluff and less substance. For our town to succeed, we need to see more on Throckmorton, Broad and other areas away from restaurant row.
On the whole, it is a great thing that the restaurant industry and entertainment has improved, I believe the retail quality has declined. Millers comments touch upon some interesting ideas, but are vague and need to be better outlined in the public arena.