Edgewater Park News

Pay Up "I need to spend your money to make money" Quote from Committeeman Tom Pullion's Bee Article several years ago.

The Sewer Authority is moving from the Municipal Building because the Township Committee and Administrator/Clerk want the space for the Mayor's Office. This will increase the Operation cost to the authority and will require the Authority to raise sewer rates. 

The Township will lose the $12,000 dollars in income which represents a little less than 1/2¢ on the tax rate. Does this decision, represent good finical management during a year when the Committee is going to raise taxes 18¢ to 28¢ per $100 dollars of assessment? 

Now local taxpayers are facing a huge increase in the Municipal Tax, an increase of 8¢ on the School Tax and on top of these increases your Sewer Tax will increase. The only tax that is decreasing is the County Tax. The Fire Tax is staying the same. The same group (Edgewater Park Royal Families) is running the Sewer Authority.

The Township Committee held the first Budget meeting that was open to the Public this past Tuesday, and guess what, they are blaming everyone else for the increase in taxes. 

Instead of blaming others, why didn't Committee start working on cutting cost, late last year when they knew the State was cutting aid. This is example of the botched job Committee has done along with the Administrator/Clerk, managing our Township. 

Just adding an insult to our tax increase, this Township Committee has borrowed an additional $1,000,000 (million) dollars (Bonds) in borrowing just this past year. Ask the Mayor how much borrowing, has the Township has done during her term of office. She probably doesn't know, but after reading this Blog she will get the answer.  

Talk about "the Mortgage," and it now looks like because of all the borrowing, the Township will be forced to put any future capital projects on hold (street re-paving, infrastructure repairs), but they are spending tax money to paint, re-carpeting the Municipal Building and will build a new Office for the Mayor. Is this spending necessary during a year when Committee knew the state is cutting aid?

Just remember after you get your new tax bill in July, how hard this Committee and Administrator/Clerk worked to responsibly handle the finances of our Township. Remember how little they care about how their irresponsibly caused your taxes to increase greatly, during a year when you are finding it difficult to pay for the increases in food, gas, utilities and childcare. 

You can make a difference, by attending the Township Budget hearings and expressing you concerns. If they don't listen, repay the favor in November by voting the bums out. It won't change the majority on Committee, but at least there would be two watch dogs on Committee.

Quickly on to another subject, I received a tip that the City of Burlington was trying to force the Main Street Project Board of Directors to hire a "Edgewater Park Committeewoman" as the replacement director. I was told that the Board politely told the Burlington Mayor and Council to pound sand.

There also are changes at the Sewer Authority. I understand that the authority hired a new Acting Administrator, who is according to Authority Board members comments, is also acting as the Authorities Operator, and not the Willingboro MUA. The Acting Administrator/Operator was given a six week contract for $700 dollars per week, according to what I was told. The Authorities Administrator is out on sick leave, also according to comments made to me. I have not been able to get any more information on the illness of the Administrator.

The Edgewater Park Reporter

Guest Post from Albert Straser "Clean up your act"

Please note that I deleted the email address and mailing address from Albert's email. EPR

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Albert Strasser
To: edgewaterparkreporter@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 12:13:25 PM
Subject: Clean up your act

I find your comments very informative and, at times, even interesting.
However you can do yourself (and me) a great service by using your
spell checker and remembering some of the rules of grammar you learned
in school.

One particularly outstanding screamer is the uneducated use "your" when
you mean "you're" as in "you are." It makes you look ignorant.

Another deplorable error is the excessive and unnecessary use of commas
that you indiscriminately sprinkle throughout your essays. It's
something the unschooled do to make themselves appear more educated.
What would your old English teachers say?

American usage places the period after a sentence when followed by
quotation marks. British usage does the opposite. Are you English?

While typos afflict most of us from time to time, your comments are
rife with them. This is simply slovenly laziness and greatly lessens
the impact of your thoughts. Remember, "you're" using our common
language to communicate "your" thoughts and careless usage implies
careless thinking. No one wants to read the thoughts of an ignoramus.

Nothing stops most thinking people in their tracks than the misuse of
language and grammar in what ought to be a thought-provoking item. It's
like making a thoughtful speech with a piece of spinach on your teeth.

Albert Strasser

Edgewater Park

P.S. Carole Moore is the last person to comment on writing. Her
"writings" are so replete with all kinds of errors that it would be
laughable if not so embarrassingly awful. She is famous in her own
mind.

Thanks for the suggestions Albert. I don't claim to be a writer, and know my spelling is bad, but I was taught to get the idea on paper then go back to make corrections. I will work to improve the spelling of my posted comments.

The Edgewater Park Reporter 

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Delran Welcomes Edgewater Park Committee Members

Delran Township Welcome Sign for the Present Edgewater Park Committee

Delran residences and taxpayers, can't wait to follow the leadership of the Edgewater Park Committee.

 

The Edgewater Park Committee has been trained in the Willingboro Township School of  Government, and majored in, How To Run Your Town Into The Ground, they are now looking to expand their experience and knowledge to Burlington County's well run towns. 

Willingboro U, also has Post Graduate Programs with subjects in; tax increases, poor schools, financial scandals, incompetency and graft. 

The Edgewater Park Committee holds a Bachelor of Science Degrees from Willingboro U, and will so impress the taxpayers of Delran, those residents will welcome the Edgewater Committee with open arms. After all, what community can resist the temptation of having their town run like Willingboro.

With the E.P. Township Committee's wonderful leadership and financial planning, our community will be proudly moving into Beverly City's class. 

I know it is a great achievement for Edgewater Park and Committee. Who would have thought they could achieve this goal in seven short years, but we are well on our way. 

Edgewater Park Taxpayers, be proud of what our Committee has accomplished during the seven years, running (or is that ruining) Edgewater Park. I can't wait to see how quickly we establish our Beverly City ranking as a community.

You can just tell from my expression, my feelings about our Committee's leadership and our future, as planned by them. Oh my!!

The Edgewater Park Reporter

Edgewater Park's mayortom needs your vote this November

Mayortom is counting on your vote this November, so that he can continue the runaway municipal spending and runaway Property Tax increases. Mayortom is counting on the fact that the voter registration in Edgewater Park is overwhelmingly Democrat and that most Democrat Voters will vote straight party lines in a Presidential Election.

Mayortom showing his appreciation for your support in electing him to Township Committee

Now he counting on your vote this November

Do not let mayortom's strategy of taking your vote for granted keep him in office, to continue his policies that are causing your property tax to increase at a rate far greater than the rate of inflation.

Mayortom will tell you of all the great things he has done for the town. He will tell you how he attracted the Super Wawa, Dunkin Donuts, Jonathan Motors Used Cars, Auto Zone, Burlington Coat Factory, and Silver Park Phase 2 & 3.

What mayortom doesn't want you to know is that with all of these wonderful ratables, our taxes still increased faster then any time in our town's history. Now he will tell you the only way to stabilize or lower the tax rate is for the town to encourage residential development. Mayortom will tell you new residential development will lower your taxes, but lets examine the facts.

Did your taxes go down when mayortom gave the Burlington Coat Factory the 30 year sweetheart tax deal? Did your taxes go down after the completion of the 160 homes in Silver Park? Did your taxes go down after the completion of the Super Wawa, Dunkin Donuts, Jonathan Motors or Auto Zone? The answer is no!

Now mayortom is pushing for a developer to build 350 Condo/Town Houses that will have rental units included. This project is slated for the old Drive Inn, Old Kings site and Commercial Lots along the entrance to Silver Park. Do you think this 350 residential will lower our taxes based on the tax history after Silver Park was completed?

Don't be taken in by mayortom's strategy, you can split your vote in November and vote for your parties presidential candidate.

Mayortom has been on Township Committee since 1999 and the only accomplishments he can point to, are the bad deals he pushed and voted for. Not one of his ideas lowered your taxes. You can send a message to mayortom, the Township Committee and the Township Administrator that you will no longer support this type of government, by not reelecting mayortom.

Jim Daly is supposedly moving to Delran, and/or hiring himself as the Administrator of the Emergency Squad, so he may not run for re-election. Jim Daly is as responsible for the tax increases as mayortom because he is supportive of the same policies.

The Edgewater Park Reporter

Edgewater Park, What is your problem with an additional 12¢ tax increase?

You need to spend tax money to make money. Didn't mayortom tell you that in his Bee Article.

I also agree with Jim Daly, you need the new 350 townhouse/condo project to keep your taxes down. Didn't your taxes drop after the 160 Silver Park Senior was completed? No! Well, it must be because of  all of the Barack Obama  and evil Republican supporters who used to be on Committee. It depends on what your definition of tax increase is.

Get a life if you don't like the way the town is run and move. 

Surprise Guest

Edgewater Park Township Weasels

New Township Committee Seal

Weasel \'we˜-z∂l'\n : a word used in order to mislead a person or to avoid a straight answer

 When I ask Committee why they keep hiring new people when our population is dropping, they try and duck the question with weasel words, saying, " We don't have the highest tax rate, we can't control State funding, 'Define 'Large Tax Increase' ".

Below is a photo rendering of the Township Municipal Building's New Township Committee Office Cubicle. This will be located in the Edgewater Park Sewer Office, when they are evicted in August.

 

When you ask a question at a Township Meeting, watch the 'Weasel Words'.

Below, is what we can pay our 2008 tax increase with.

Happy Easter 

The Edgewater Park Reporter

Edgewater Park Township Need more Clerical Help

Township Committee approved at the March 18th General Session, the Minutes of the September 18th, 2007 General Session Meeting. That means that the clerk Linda Dougherty, is five months behind on the meeting minutes for Township Committee.

The Township Committee's solution is to hire an additional clerk.

Now maybe I am a  little slow on the uptake, but how is it that we have a Municipal Clerk (Linda Dougherty paid 60+K highest in the county for our size ), and 2  Assistant Clerks to help Linda and they can't keep up with the meeting minutes. Now keep in mind that years ago the township had a higher population and the Clerks were able to produce the minutes for the following meeting. Not only could they do this, is was done with half the Clerical Staff that the township presently has.

Keep in mind, you tax increases of the past several years, and the potential this year of an additional  large tax increase, and our committee continues to hire. Does this make sense in a year when we are looking at a large decrease in State Aid, large increases for items like gas for the police cars and Public Works vehicles, Gas and Electric and Personal wage increases?

If there is anything that shows the lack of accountability, management, and concern for the taxpayer, it is this action.

Something is very wrong with the management of our township government, and if changes are not made soon to correct this, we may have a serious exodus of our seniors, who help make this town a great place to live, along with our young families, both who are struggling to pay their bills and taxes. 

There is no reason to hire additional people to do the work that our highly paid Clerk should be doing. All it will do is add to the tax burden and will not get the minutes typed any sooner.

The Township Committee is having the first 2008 budget meeting next Tuesday, March 25th, I assume at 7PM (the date & time are not listed on the Twp Web Site), but call the Twp. to confirm. Ask the committee this question. Why do we have twice the number of Clerks (3+1), less population in town, and still can't get the work completed, that was done by 1  Full Time Clerk and 1 Part Time Clerk? 

If you keep voting for this Click, then don't complain about your taxes, or the way you are treated by the Township Inspectors. I know, if you are a personal friend of township committee members, you don't have to worry about the Inspectors, but you still have to pay the higher property taxes. Remember that Silver Park Residents when you ask why your taxed so much.

The Edgewater Park Reporter