I read with great pain the Governors proposed reduction in aid to municipalities smaller than 10,000 residents. Obviously with less than 700 residents this is a BIG concern to us. Rocky Hill has always been a model for keeping property taxes down and using shared services and volunteers. I estimate that over 80% of the services we deliver are either shared, outsourced or done by volunteers. We are run by less than a dozen part time employees and have an unpaid Council and Mayor. We share services with the State, Somerset County, Montgomery, South Brunswick, Franklin Township and South Bound Brook. This helps keep our property taxes among the lowest in the county. Shared Services and Volunteerism work. In December, our court room was renovated for the first time in over 20 years. The Mayor, his wife and several members of the Council did the work so we didn't have to impact the budget as much. We should be held up as an example....not punished for being small and tightly-knit community. Last year we reduced our municipal tax rate by 2 cents to offset a new open space tax of 2 cents. This year we have several urgent projects including the proposed purchase of a needed replacement Fire Engine. We were planning on raising taxes to the levy cap, which is still less than a $16,000 dollar increase, total. It would amount to about 2.5 cents. Municipal Aid to Rocky Hill last year totaled $155,284. Any reduction in this will be devastating to the much needed infrastructure repair projects we have scheduled for this year. We have not asked for an exception to the levy cap. A reduction in aid would probably force us to do so and would obviously have the reverse effect of everybody's desire to lower overall taxes. I am appealing to you for help. Anything you can do as our representative to the state would be greatly appreciated. We need help on this one. We don't ask often, but this is really important to us. This reduction in aid would put amazing pressure on a Borough our size. Thanks for everything you do. Ed Edward P. Zimmerman
|