| Author | Message | ||
     johnny Citizen Username: Johnny Post Number: 705 Registered: 5-2001 |
From the Maplewood News Record article sounds like there is lots of bad blood still simmering from the Democratic primary. On a happy note, the Town budget has been approved with a minimal increase. | ||
| zoe Citizen Username: Zoe Post Number: 310 Registered: 7-2002 |
Johnny, from what I read, they are all democrats on the council. Yes, Vic cast the deciding vote, but how do you read bad blood in that? I applaud the three members who saw fit to pass the budget. I am one who supports the budget in its present form and was pleased to see it pass. Maintaining a larger buffer, or surplus, may once again become attractive, but after the increases we have recently experienced, it makes sense to avoid another large one again this year. I also think the sewer bill staying at $150 makes sense, when you consider that is what aproximately what other towns are paying. Perhaps it should always be that way. If you think there is still bad blood, fine. I think we received solid representation from our TC members, and more open debate than in previous years. I am anxious to see how that organization interacts next year, following the election of two new members. | ||
| tom Citizen Username: Tom Post Number: 1119 Registered: 5-2001 |
In reading the article, and the quotes from Profeta and Vic, I don't think there's any doubt that there's bad blood. | ||
| Joan Citizen Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 1854 Registered: 5-2001 |
It took a lot of courage for Vic to vote the way he did after maintaining such a solid voting block with Jerry and David on so many issues this past year. | ||
| Nohero Citizen Username: Nohero Post Number: 1970 Registered: 5-2001  |
The News-Record article is online at this link. Towards the end, it reports on the setting of the sewer fee, noting this discussion: This seems to imply that the sewer fee was set in order to raise money for the municipality to use for other purposes in the budget. My understanding was that the sewer fees are only supposed to collect actual sewer-related costs (See N.J.S.A. 40A:26A-10). As much as we dislike property taxes, that's where funding for the municipal budget should be, not hidden in the sewer fees. As always, its hard to tell if the above is an accurate recounting of what was said, since Mr. Grodman apparently referred to a different use for the excess sewer fee monies: If this is the case, is the extra money being put into a separate account, or is it being spent now? If it's being spent now, isn't that contrary to the law? | ||
| zoe Citizen Username: Zoe Post Number: 312 Registered: 7-2002 |
Nohero, I can only suggest this to you. Your hope to draw one of our busy Township Committee members into answering you here on MOL is this, slim and none. If you really wish for an answer, go directly to them during their office hours and ask them to their face. I'm certain they will provide you with whatever information you deserve. I know that if I were an elected public official, I would feel reluctant to respond to some anonymous poster who continues to attempt to drag me through the muck on line. Grow up or grow wise my friend, you are kidding yourself if you expect anything less. | ||
| duncanrogers Citizen Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 675 Registered: 12-2001  |
Zoe.. you didnt really accuse someone of dragging someone through the muck online did you??? OH MY GOD. Now thats comedy  | ||
| Nohero Citizen Username: Nohero Post Number: 1971 Registered: 5-2001 |
Um, Zoe, I think you're projecting again. Look, you brought up the setting of the sewer charge in your noon post. That made me think of something, which I wrote down in my post. Not sure why you took offense at that. It's a discussion board, and there's nothing wrong with referring to a public newspaper article about a public meeting, and discussing a public law. Nobody is obligated to respond, and if nobody else is interested in continuing to discuss what I wrote above, that's life. | ||
| mtierney Citizen Username: Mtierney Post Number: 386 Registered: 3-2001 |
Anyone who watched that TC meeting on cable could plainly see and hear the animosity - it was quite a show, lasting until after midnight. | ||
| Flt Citizen Username: Flt Post Number: 72 Registered: 3-2003 |
Does anyone other than me believe that Zoe is Mr Profeta? | ||
| Nohero Citizen Username: Nohero Post Number: 1972 Registered: 5-2001 |
Flt: I would disagree. Oh, sure, Zoe is clearly a person with some anger about certain issues, some of which were local campaign issues. Folks can disagree about whether that anger is justified, and also about whether it's misdirected. But I wouldn't assume that Zoe is a member of the Township Committee. | ||
| 1-2many Citizen Username: Wbg69 Post Number: 242 Registered: 6-2002 |
responding to the minor point of whether surrounding towns pay a similar fee: in Madison, there is no such fee. also, you don't have to pay for garbage pick-up separately there. it's covered under your taxes... and they'll pick up anything, anytime. perhaps they mean, surrounding towns in Essex County? if so, property taxes are not only higher here, there are also higher in terms of existence of these other little "surtaxes". | ||
| johnny Citizen Username: Johnny Post Number: 706 Registered: 5-2001 |
Zoe- Did you read the same articles I did? DeLuca/Ryan basically said Profeta sent out mailers during the primary with lies in them... | ||
| Reflective Citizen Username: Reflective Post Number: 84 Registered: 3-2003 |
NoHero You are on target, the sewer fee is set by, and is for the Joint Commission, and its operations only. The $45 one time fee for capital improvements was for one year only, The JC, and not the Township Committee, is the only entity that can set that fee, which is separate from the municipal budget. Of course, we have seen the Township Committee in the past two years take control of the pool revenues and also some of the Library revenues. Instead of those two previously independent functions managing and re-investing in improvements as needed, they now go hat in hand to the Committee to justify improvements and get in line for funds with other municipal priorities. The Township Attorney should and must be able to provide a legal reason justifying the $45! Sounds like a another hidden tax to me. | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 3297 Registered: 5-2001 |
Actually, from reading the article it appears that the difference of opinion was more between David Huemer and the Profetistas than with The Mayor, who voted for the $150 sewer charge. I don't have a problem with this as other towns in the Joint Meeting apparently charge around $150 year in and year out. However, oddly, given my normal views, I kinda agree with David on the subject of building up the surplus as this is Mapleberry where all things weird and unusual can happen and usually do. (Think lawsuits, TS Floyd, etc.)  | ||
| lseltzer Citizen Username: Lseltzer Post Number: 1667 Registered: 5-2001 |
I think David had also mentioned in earlier debates that underfunding the surplus after taking extraordinary aid could piss off the state, since it looks like we used the funds to lower taxes. | ||
| Nlanzieri Citizen Username: Nlanzieri Post Number: 157 Registered: 1-2003 |
Speaking of sewer fees, my friend lives in Berkeley heights. He gets a lifetime subscription of the star ledger and sewer fees are included in his taxes, which are by the way much less than ours. What do we get? | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 1746 Registered: 9-2001 |
I thought Maplewood never got extraordinary aid before this year? Word has it that it's also not that easy to get... So can anyone tell us how many towns receive this extraordinary aid each year? Is it only one, or two... maybe five or ten? I mean with over 500 towns in NJ, lets say if only ten qualify each year, that means it could be another fifty years before we qualify again, no? I'm thinking that the best plan would be to get our house in order, than maybe we won't need extraordinary aid again for a while.... | ||
| duncanrogers Citizen Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 677 Registered: 12-2001 |
AJC.. absolutely right. Huzzah | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 1748 Registered: 9-2001 |
I'm sorry but, Huzzah? Can you help me out? |
