I would like to begin this month’s column with a heart-felt “thank you” to everyone who has reached out via text, with a phone call, on social media or in person to wish me well following the March 31 announcement that I will not seek reelection in November.
That news is bittersweet on many levels, especially as it pertains to my final budget presentation to Township Council back on April 10.
When I became mayor we had the fastest growing taxes in Mercer County, and I am happy to report this will be the third consecutive year submitting a flat budget and the 11th time in the last 14 years that we have either been flat or reduced.
Holding the line on taxes required a lot of hard work by our staff, and it is not an easy thing to do in New Jersey considering how much all of our expenses are going up.
We were able to do this because with the help of some good ratables and the Township has benefitted from the reverse tax appeals in the (Matrix) warehouse park. Thanks to our Tax Assessor, Greg Busa, for his hard work to help make that happen.
The beauty of this $32 million budget is it also features arguably the most investments we have made in several years, including the new municipal building, police station and court at 2300 Route 33.
Construction is well underway, and this is something we have been trying to accomplish for over a decade with both existing structures reaching the end of their useful lives. This is the first time two towns (Robbinsville and Hightstown Borough) have shared a police and court in the history of the State, so this is a really big step forward for shared services.
It saves both Hightstown and Robbinsville money, and it is a wonderful opportunity to do something so outside the box on such a grand scale. We are also adding two K9s, which have become so important in our schools and for public safety in general, to our police department.
Our outstanding fire department has taken over EMS and brought those EMTs in-house, which is going to lead to much better outcomes for our residents at no added cost. Many thanks to Fire Chief Dan Schaffener and Council President Mike Todd for bringing that initiative to the finish line.
Our commitment to roads and infrastructure is also a mainstay in this budget. The Miry Run walking paths are about to enter Phase 1 of construction, and we are looking forward to the addition of a second inclusive playground – this time in Community Park – a project spearheaded by Council Vice President Debbie Blakely.
We are also making investments in our sewer system, and we will be able to fund the new bike path at Washington Woods to connect Tantum Park to Robbinsville High School, which is something we have been wanting to do for several years. Eventually we would like that path to go all the way to Mercer County Park.
Even though we are submitting a budget with no tax increase on the municipal side, which accounts for 20 percent of your overall tax burden, we have a very ambitious itinerary of things we want to accomplish before I call it a career.
From what I understand just about every town in Mercer County will see a municipal increase this year, so I was very pleased to hand this flat budget to Council. The public hearing and adoption vote is scheduled for the May 22 agenda.
Dave Fried is the mayor and director of public safety for Robbinsville Township
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