One of the things I love most about serving as Mayor of Robbinsville Township is the first Saturday in June, when we come together to celebrate fellowship, friendship and family on Community Day.
This year’s event on Saturday, June 7 (rain date is June 8) at Community Park is fast approaching.
It is also very bittersweet, as this will be the last Community Day I attend as your mayor. My family and I have so many fond memories of this day that I could not even begin to put them into words here.
Needless to say, this event is the crown jewel of our outdoor schedule with plenty of food, live music all day, “Prize Alley,’’ activities and games for the kids, amazing vendors, a host of non-profit organizations to learn about and of course fireworks beginning at approximately 9 p.m.
While we will not be hosting the Father’s Day Weekend Fishing Derby this year, our fantastic Recreation Division has plenty of events on the docket including “Wheels & Reels Outdoor Movie Night” featuring “If” on July 25 at 8:30 p.m. on the big screen at the Community Park intersection of Gordon Road and Sharon Road. The cost is $5 per car for both residents and non-residents.
Our highly acclaimed Farmers’ Market returns on July 1 and, by popular demand, will once again continue each Tuesday throughout the month of September.
Contact Hope Neis at hneis@robbinsville.net to become a vendor. Beware of anyone on Facebook posing as the “only official registrar of vendors for this event.” They are many and they are all scams.
Recreation Summer Camp begins June 30 and runs through August 15. Our Summer Concert Series kicks off July 1 with Robbinsville-infused “Wendy Lane” and continues each Tuesday through DJ Reggie on August 12. Bring your lawn chair, blankets and snacks while enjoying some of the best bands in the area at the gazebo beginning at 7 p.m.
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Just a few words about our budget, which was adopted following a public hearing and vote on May 22.
In the face of continued rising costs, my final budget of $32.3 million is highlighted by the 11th flat or reduced tax rate in the past 14 years.
Municipal taxes make up only 18% of a resident’s overall tax bill. Schools account for 54% , Mercer County absorbs 23%, while the Mercer County library and Mercer County Open Space combined for 3%.
Robbinsville Township continues to do all it can to keep the municipal side of taxes stable in the face of rising ra tes elsewhere.
I want to thank our department heads for continuously doing more with less so that we can deliver the type of unmatched services our residents and businesses have become accustomed to. I wanted my last budget to be consistent with our aggressive approach to tax stabilization over the past decade.
Home values are still among the highest in Mercer County and we are able to remain flat this year despite increases in health insurance, pension, utility, and snow removal costs.
We are investing significant capital into improving our roads along with renovating the future home of our police, court, and other key departments at 2300 Route 33. We also brought EMS in-house and will begin building a mile of trails at Miry Run in the coming weeks.
Doing all of this without a municipal tax increase was no small feat, but it is something we are extremely proud of, and we are excited to start moving our staff into the building by the end of the year.
Dave Fried is the mayor of Robbinsville Township
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