Tom Pullion was first elected to office in Nov. 1998 and started his service as our Committeeman in 1999. Tom's platform was the redevelopment of Edgewater Park's Rt 130 corridor for tax ratables and restarting the stalled Silver Park residential development.
Tom Pullion also pledged to see that no additional high density housing (apts., condos & townhouses) would be approved by the Township, as long as he was serving on Committee. Tom Pullion also supported the proposed Open Space Tax for preserving the remaining open space in Edgewater Park. Tom Pullion later turned his back on this, by voting not to use the Open Space Tax to preserve the remaining open space in Edgewater Park but to use it on field maintenance instead. Tom Pullion has pushed for the residential development on the properties slated in the Open Space Plan for preservation.
Tom Pullion's first term of office (2000-2002) record;
1. Tom pushed the Planning Board (was a member), to fast track the approvals for Phase 2 & 3 of Silver Park West. This fast tracking required the Planning Board to issue numerous variances and changes due to the Developer not building the project according the the approved site plans. These and many other inspection items, are the cause of the many issues in litigation between the builder, the township and the Silver Park West Homeowners Association. Our taxes are still paying (check the Edgewater Park Meeting Agendas for this year) the legal cost for Tom Pullion's pushing to fast track this project.
2. The Dunken Donuts, and Super Wawa were built during Tom's first term.
3. The Burlington Coat Factory received their 30 Year Tax Abatement deal from the 2001 Township Committee, that has proven to be a bad deal for Edgewater Park. The proof that this was a bad deal are the statements made by Tom, in answer to the many criticisms of this tax abatement. Tom said (in his 2002 campaign) that the municipal taxes would be lowered because of this deal and that we would see the positive effects very soon. It is six years since his 2002 promise. We are also waiting for the two Pad sites owned by the Coat Factory on each side of the Rt 130 entrance to be developed. The only so called benefit to Edgewater Park is the increased COA obligation due to the number of employees working at the Coat Factory. The additional ancillary support businesses that were to be generated because of the Coat Factory have not materialized.
4. The Open Space properties were identified that the Township Committee wanted to preserve as part of our Open Space Plan that was adopted by Tom and Committee.
Tom Pullion's second term of office (2003-2005) record;
1. Tom objected (2004) to working with the Burlington County Freeholders with their (the County) efforts to redevelop the Rt. 130 Corridor. The results of this decision are very apparent, just look across the highway to Willingboro, or ride north to Burlington Twp or south to Delran and Cinniminison to see the difference.
2. Tom was behind the hiring of Management and Government Resources, Inc. for $30,000 to market the Edgewater Park Rt. 130 Corridor, instead of using the Burlington County Economic Development Office (free) as Willingboro and other towns did. The $30,ooo fee cost one cent per $100 dollars of assessment on our local tax rate. Now what business did this contract bring ? None what so ever. Instead M.G.R., Inc. pushed the committee to change the zoning to allow for the building of condos, apartments and townhouse along Rt 130 as well as the areas adjacent to the rail line.
3. Tom Pullion and Committee signed an agreement of sale for the township owned property (Old Drive Inn) without getting any appraisals, to establish the value of this property. Tom knew that the buyer planned to build multifamily senior housing with some affordable units on. Thank god the deal fell apart! but beware Tom Pullion and Committee are still trying to push this residential idea for the Rt. 130 property. Did you ever sell property and not get a appraisal to establish the value for it from your broker? Well Tom Pullion and Committee did.
4. Tom Pullion and Committee turned down a NJ Green Acre Grant that would have covered the cost of several parcels of open space land that the Township purchased and planed to pay for with this grant. Tom Pullion and Committee rejected this grant because as Tom Pullion said, the public use of the open space properties would have to be open for anyone. This rejection has required Edgewater Park to borrow the money to pay for these properties instead of the grant. This has reduced our borrowed money (Municipal Bonds) that we could have used for additional street paving projects. Not now, just ask. The township can issue more bonds, but this would increase the outstanding loans (Bonds & Notes) requiring much more of the township budget to be dedicated to principal and interest payments and not for municipal services.
Tom's third term of office (2005-2008) record;
1. Tom Pullion pushed to change the Master Plan (Just upgraded) to allow high density multi-family housing on Rt. 130 along with commercial instead of the Master Plan's just commercial development.
2. Tom Pullion along with Committee and the Administrator are pushing the Sewerage Authority to pay for sewer lines to be installed in areas of town that lack them now, with the sewer rate (tax) payers paying for this cost, not the developers. This has never been done by the Sewerage Authority for any of the developments previously built in Edgewater Park. Tom wants this to be done now for the developer who has received approvals to build a shopping center next to the RV Dealership as well as Perkins Lane so that residential developers will build houses on the tree farms.
3. Tom Pullion voted for a tax abatement ordinance for developers, and this was passed in September 2008.
4. Tom Pullion voted with the Mayor and Committee to evict the Sewerage Authority costing the tax payers an additional 1/2 cent on the property tax increase.
5. Tom Pullion voted, to not use the Open Space Tax colected to purchase the last remaining farms, thereby ignoring the voters who overwhelming approved this tax in 2000, to be used for that purpose.
If you want to see what Tom Pullion has accomplished with his nine years as a Mayor and Township Committeeman in attracting good ratables and the economic development of our town, just ride up and down Rt. 130 and compare the Edgewater Park section to the other towns along Rt. 130.
You have, or will receive, several election mailers from Tom Pullion and his friends, asking for your vote on November 4th, to support Tom and to keep his development progress going, and he will tell you again, how his plan will lower your taxes. Are you going to beleive Tom Pullion again?
Just look at Tom Pullion's past dismal nine year record to see what you can expect for the next three years if Tom is re-elected.
Don't take my word on Tom's record, just take a ride on Rt. 130 and look at what other towns have accomplished with the Burlington County Freeholder's help. A picture is worth a thousand words.
The Edgewater Park Reporter
12 comments:
Let's not forget his record on the school board either. He voted to raise taxes there too! As the spouse of a teacher and union member, I wonder whose interest he was representing?
Questions for incumbent Tom Pullion;
Why didn't you work with the Burlington County Rt. 130 Redevelopment Group to help market Edgewater Park?
If reelected, will you continue as you stated in the BCT Election Guide, ("to pursue all opportunities related to the economic growth along our portion of Route 130") the same policies that have been a "dismal failure" as the E.P. Reporter stated.
Why did you vote to reject the NJ Green Acre Grant that would have triggered an additional County open space matching amount grant, that now requires Edgewater Park, to pay for the properties acquired as a result of the Affordable Housing lawsuit with township taxes instead of grant money?
How can you lie in the BCT and state that "the Township Committee over the last 10 years purchased open space in accordance with our master plan", when all you need to do is look at the Open Space Plan, approved by the Township Committee and was part of the Master Plan, and shown on the Open Space Maps that used to be on the walls in the Court Room that clearly shows you are not truthful with your statement.
I ask the voters to check the record on Tom's BCT statements to judge Tom's truthfulness for yourselves. He is counting on you to vote straight Democrat in this election. You can and should vote for the person you think will best represent your views, and who you think will do the best job for each office, on the November 4th ballot. Do not fall for the line that you can't split your vote. This is a statement being told to people by operatives of both parties. They do not want you voting for independents like Ralph Nader or Ron Paul. You can and should, so that the two big parties learn not to take your vote for granted.
Wow, if this is true why is he still in office?
thats the big question greg...IF it's is true. I'm sure there are kernels of truth in it like most political spins but it probably has false statements in it too. Tom tell us whats what
You expect taxing, tall tails, Tom to answer truthfully? If you do I have a roll of TP for you because you will need it after another three years of this bunch.
EP Reporter: Do you know anything the township not paying their portion of pension monies due the State of NJ for the crossing guards? It is my understanding that they made a 5 year deal almost 5 years ago now with the state to delay these payments from the township although supposedly the employee deductions were paid just not the township's share and now the payment is due and I guess with all our other bubget issues the money isn't there or did they bury this in our latest tax increase as part of their "budget shell game." What can you tell us or find out about this? Thanks
If Tom Pullion is in charge of administration and finance like the BCT election guide says, then he's got alotta B_LLS for even running again with the tax mess in this town after his last 9 years.
I thought that Mr.Johnson was going
to be an independent thinker but I guess he votes along with all the others but I guess he's pressured to do so because why would he want to cost us taxpayers the $12,000 dollars lost that Mr. Galgoci was talking about for lease from the Sewerage Authority in today's election guide? Shame on you if you let them tell you what to do because I voted for you.
In reply to the comment about the Sewer Authority.
It gets better, the Sewer Authority is planning to pay for sewer lines to be installed in the few areas of town that do not presently have them. The reason for this is, so that the developers don't have to pay for them or pay for the required pump stations. This system expansion, is a giant give-a-way.
The Sewerage Authority will need to borrow money in order to pay for this construction. The loan as well as the interest payments will be paid from the Sewer Taxes ( paid by you the home owner). The Sewer Tax will at least double for each home owner while the developer makes money on his project, at the expense of the Sewer Tax Payer.
The Sewer Authority Board members (5 members) are family members (Mayor's husband), friends, political associates and a Township Committeeman (Jim Daly), so guess why the authority is going forward with this. I also want to point out that the Sewer Authority Solicitor Carl McConnell, has donated to each of the existing Township Committeeman's election campaigns in past elections as well as the Sewer Authority Auditors.
Guess what, the Sewer Authority will do what ever the Township Committee tells them to do, no matter what the impact to the Sewer Tax Payers. Oh guess what; Tom Pullion doesn't pay a sewer tax, he has a septic system. Why should he care.
Why don't you print this record of Pullian's and put it in the mailbox of every Edgewater Park taxpayer.
The average resident doesn't know all this. Educate them!!
Most don't have computers or come to this site.
Good idea anonymous at 10:19pm on Oct. 28.
I second that suggestion. Someone should print these facts and make sure it is delivered to every resident in Edgewater Park. It's just another way to inform the voters.
Unfortunately, it seems as Tom will be back in office for another term ... where were all those people who objected to his past 8 years in office yesterday? I know I voted against him, did you?
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