Not surprisingly, two historical adversaries have taken differing approaches to the issues following the announcements of their respective tickets.##M:[more]##
Charles Morgan spoke out against the Mayor and his supporters, saying the election is a chance for residents to decide “Whether we want everyone in council to be in the mayor’s Green Party, or whether we want checks and balances.”
Gambatese has not referred to his own ticket as the Green Party. Gambatese’s ticket consists of three people in favor of making progress on a transit village. “We’re all open to the idea,” said Gambatese. “I don’t think any of us are front and center, saying ‘let’s get it built,’ I think we want to see what happens with the plans.”
Morgan’s group is taking a different stance on the redevelopment. “The charrette process is threatening to be a charade. It’s critical. The biggest issue in the redevelopment is [whether] the mayor is listening to the community, and that it does get the opportunity to get its voice heard,” said Morgan. “Simple questions like ‘do we even want a transit village?’ seem to be assumed away. They’ve moved away from that question. They’re acting in away that presumes the answer. Is it inadvertent?”
Morgan has been harshly critical of Hillier’s proposed charrette process, while Gambatese has said he sees it as a positive exercise. At a recent town hall meeting, Gambatese addressed attendees, saying: “I want you all to think of this as the township giving everyone a blank palette. Everyone should paint a picture of what they want the redevelopment to be. We want everyone in the community involved. Greatness has never been achieved by those who just stand pat.”
Morgan questions the mayor’s claims that the design process is open and that the plans will be determined by residents. “Despite my requests and the efforts of the Cable TV Advisory Board, there is no apparent interest in getting a team together to make sure the charrettes are televised,” said Morgan. “There is a mentality of moving this forward faster than the subject matter would require for deliberation. This concerns those of us who want to get it right.”
Morgan said Hillier’s proposed charrette process is not adequate for forming a plan based on the opinions of townspeople. “The first meeting is a three-hour session with 45 minutes scheduled to be spent on speeches we’ve already heard.”
Taxes, Too
Gambatese says his slate’s platform includes “promoting sustainable development, improving roads and bicycle paths and pedestrian safety, and stabilizing taxes. We need to make sure the 14 or 15 percent of the tax dollar that we do control is being used responsibly.”
Morgan says their stance on taxes are the key difference between him and Gambatese. Morgan claims his voting record is better than his rival’s in terms of lessening the burden on the taxpayers. “The last two opportunities we had to lower taxes for townspeople, I voted in their favor, and Franc voted the opposite. I voted not to burden the public with the cost of the swimming pool, and Franc voted to place that burden on the taxpayers.”
Gambatese gives a different interpretation of his vote concerning the pool fee increases. “I am the only member of this Council that voted against a recent fee increase for our Water Works Park knowing that a fee increase is simply another form of tax,” he said. “Mr. Morgan should tread lightly on the subject of tax control. His record is public information and available for all of us to read, as is mine.”
Morgan says his voting record shows he has voted in favor of lessening the township tax burden. “When we had the Open Space Tax surplus, I voted to return that to the taxpayers, but I was alone in that.”
Gambatese says he has a better history concerning casting votes to lower taxes. “Apparently Mr. Morgan had trouble remembering that I was the only Council member who voted against the Open Space Tax Referendum of 2005 which cost our taxpayers an additional $1.3 million. While crafting the Referendum in August, 2005, I was the only Council member who argued for a 3 cent open space referendum, but was willing to settle on 4 cents. As Council President, Mr. Morgan ignored my advice and the residents were handed his 5 cent referendum in November, 2005, which was passed. When combined with our Township Revaluation in 2006, Mr. Morgan’s Open Space Referendum cost our taxpayers 1.3 million dollars more than my 3 cent plan would have. The money that Mr. Morgan claims he wanted to return to the taxpayers was a ‘feel good’ gimmick designed to mislead the public,” said Gambatese.
