Edgewater Park Twp 3/4/08 Meeting Summary from Oki---- (Guest Post)

"Hello EPR,

I wanted to let you know, that I attended the Tuesday Committee meeting, along with six other EP citizens. My first impression of the Committee members was that they are completely "over their heads" in the current political environment that Gov. Corzine has established.

My second impression of the good folks on Committee, was that they actually do care about EP, but seem misguided.

Here are some examples:

The most important issue that was raised, was Corzine cutting aid to towns with under 10,000 person populations (@ $233,00 cut to EP).

This may result in EP merging with other towns to survive (in one form or another). Obviously, a huge problem.

The Mayor had nothing to say about this, but did have a lot to say about a Summer camp for kids being in jeopardy from the cuts, and also expressed a lot of interest in an Easter Egg Hunt.

With the exception of Tom Pullion & Linda Dougherty, nothing was said through most of the meeting at all, on any topic by Committee.

Near the end of the meeting the Committee did show their true EP attitude. A citizen approached the microphone and stated that he had submitted an application for farm status over seven months earlier, and had not heard anything on it. He was told (in a nasty way), that the Committee was "too busy" with other issues to get around to discussing his application. Just disgusting the way they treated that man! Finally, Tom Pullion, asked to have the man's application added to the next meetings business. If it were not for Mr. Pullion, that citizen would have been basically told, we will get to it when we feel like it. The Mayor, Kevin Johnson (who said nothing all meeting), & Donna Atzert would have been happy if the man just walked away, imo.

The reason I mention the later, is that he was the ONLY citizen there that really asked for ANYTHING. I believe that the "EP attitude" is why RT 130 is not developed, we have no commercial tax base, and this town will most likely have to merge with another Township in the VERY NEAR FUTURE.

Maybe it is only fitting that people with "bad attitudes" lose their jobs.

Tom Pullion attempted to justify the job that he has done over the past 8 years, that based on the commercial tax base here, taxes have been kept reasonable low in comparison to other communities. That may be true, but the problem has not been managing the budget imo, it has been in building the town's tax base. That is where Committee has failed the citizens of EP.

Just a little info you might want to pass along to the readers: Last year (2007), the Burlington County Budget had a surplus of $10,600,000. It is my firm belief that the Counties of NJ have been over taxing & not offering enough help to their communities.

With the State now reducing help to small towns, is the County going to step in to help? Who do you think on the Committee will be the first to ask Burlington County for help?

Concerned Citizen

PS Feel free to post if you want."

My thanks to Concerned Citizen for the report and observations of the Township Committee Meeting of March 4, 2008. I have also linked to a story about "NJ's Small Towns Big Fuss over Corzine Aid Cuts" that appeared in the AC Press 3/7/08

The Edgewater Park Reporter