Chatham Township and Boro should merge. We already share services like schools and courts. I don't see why there needs to be two mayors, two municipal clerks, two police departments, etc.. Maybe Madison should join in, too.

We should also merge school districts..in Sussex county alone we have 21 Superintendents and 40 something schools which most only preside over 1 school...Regional school districts would save Millions over 500 school districts in this state of 21 counties in other states they have County board of Education....not local they run just as efficent. We wouldn't have duplicate administrators etc....

Just wanted people to know this ....

The New Jersey Taxpayers Association (NJTA) is proud to present a distinguished panel of experts to discuss consolidation and shared services in NJ. This is a very timely topic as NJ is poised to finally make some significant progress in this area.

PANELISTS:

Upendra Chivucula, NJ Assemlyman: NJ Assembly Bills A2622 and A2623,
for the establishment of county administrative school districts to govern and operate all public schools in each county.

Tim Smith, Chairman of Fight Waste NJ: Shared Services in Law Enforcement

Gina Genovese, Executive Director of Courage To Connect NJ: Municipal Consolidation and the Role of the Taxpayer

Neil Coleman, Trustee NJTA: Moderator

Event Information:

Location: Morris County Library
directions - (http://www.gti.net/mocolib1/compass.html)

Date: Thursday, October 20th
Time: 10:00AM until Noon

There is no fee for this event but seating is limited.

Presented by the NJTA Board of Trustees.

HAHA - seating is limited because no one is going to attend! If people wanted to merge it would have been done years ago. Never gonna happen but keep dreaming! Imagine the plummeting property values of the Township folks if they had to merge with the rif raf that is the Boro!

The Town of Morristown is organized under the Faulkner Act which allows voters to bring initiatives to the ballot for referendum. Morris Township is not organized under the Faulkner Act so the voters cannot bring issues to the ballot for public vote. Which form of government would you choose?

I'd like to pick A, B, and C of the survey options. Local government has many advantages (and disadvantages too, I admit). Overall, I would rather keep it local rather than government becoming like a corporation where you're just a number-- I don't like that our 911 calls are answered by people at the County now - there's less personal knowledge of the community. On the other hand, there are areas for improvement/consolidation though--I think trash collection in Morristown/Township would be cheaper if consolidated, due to the geography. Some things could be merged with the Township (especially since a lot of folks from there think they live in Morristown anyway). Police and fire should remain separate, since more urban Morristown can be very different from suburban Morris Township.

I know New Jersey is a little bit crazy with its 600 plus different municipalities (rather than mostly county government, as in many other states), but I think this is a reflection of 1) our high population density, 2) diversity, and 3) valuing independence!

Small towns are what makes New Jersey (and New York) different than the rest of jaded and brainwashed middle Americana. Small towns make the community better- For instance, New Jersey is one of the last places to have volunteer first aid squads in highly-populated areas like Union and Morris Counties. Even Hoboken (the most densely populated city in America still has a volunteer rescue squad).
This is just one example of community involvement that is better because of smaller sized towns where people feel they can make a difference.

Larger towns - even in NJ have- many more problems with lack of community and poorer town services. Would anyone in the Summit/Chatham area want to live in Woodbridge, Edison, or Parsippany- probably not. Believe it or not, the smaller town feel is what brought them here from other areas. Merging towns would create even a greater feel of disconnection and lack of a community. I would pay the small extra price for living in a smaller town.

Incidentally- people in larger towns in Pennsylvania and the rest of middle America have far more inferior town services than we do in small towns. Look at how long people are snowbound in East Central Groundhog Township Pennsylvania v. Summit or Chatham.

Good to poll, but all have limitations. Why not try again with more options, Patch?

Consolidation is not one approach. Combining police departments, animal control, health and other local government services need not require complete merger. And if something like police communications, for example, is centralized, is that "consolidation"? Of course in those communities that operate as virtually one town now, merger might make sense -- say in the Chathams, Chesters, Morris's.

The Column is BS. You can have shared services and still leave communities in control of their own destinys. A $10,000 tax payer in my Township pays about $1900.00 per year in Municipal purpose taxes. That is about $160.00 per month or $40.00 per week. Education and County government are another matter. I don't believe critical services should be regionalized. I want emergency services as close to home as possible.

Shared services seems like a good idea, but it's not obvious to me that regionalization will be more efficient. We have a fair amount of cronyism locally, but look at the state and federal levels. Let's fix corruption first and then we can determine which if any services would be better if shared.

Show me one town that wants to give up Home Rule?? The only way merging two smaller towns into one will occur is if it forced down our throats and that would be political suicide to the leader imposing the idea. I do believe that public safety should be the number one priority for all communities and every citizen of this state should be afforded the same level of police, first aid and fire protection. Why does one town settle for a 10-15 minute response from a volunteer first aid squad/fire or police response when another might pay for the service at a much more effecient 4 minute response time. I want my family to live in a town with not only the best schools, but also the best emergency services that can provide care within the 4-6 minute response time. Every second counts when it comes to emergency services. Is it fair that a career fire department has to cover another town during the daytime hours when that towns volunteers are working?? Shouldn't it be shared financial sacrifice to ensure all citizens of the state of New Jersey are afforded the same level of protection?? Long term, regional consolidation of Police/Fire/EMS is the way to go. Everyone pays their fair share and strategically placed stations and dispatch centers ensure everyone receives the best quality care in a timely manner. It would also eliminate duplication of equipment and apparatus by providing only the necessary equipment and manpower for the region they cover.

More local governments, more goonions employed, more money for the Dem reelection coffers. Clear as day! Cut their bennies to size and see the resistance to government merge. fading.

Consolidation can take place in many forms. There is no reason why each town has to have its own back office doing payroll, accounts payable, tax collection etc. Centralize all of those operations and you save millions. Want to save more, put it offshore in India or Singapore.

I waited to respond to see what the poll suggests. I just voted and the consensus was clear (see below). "I don't. I'd be happy to consolidate". I guess this should be sending a message to the Mayor of Hopatcong. Our taxes keep going up 5-6% a year even though the state mandates a cap of 2% to follow. They keep finding ways to get around it. Most of our $ goes towards salaries, benefits (that keep rising) and pensions. This year a state of emergency with Hurricane Irene was declared. Believe it our not...this is one of the reasons MOST municipalities will use to raising taxes over the cap of 2% because it is an "exception" to the law. Instead of protesting on Wall Street we should be protesting at the Council meetings for the lack of services. I predict next year the public sector will take the big hit with lay-offs. By then every public employee will wish they had their 20 years in for retirement because the system will be broke and the federal government will be picking up the tab AGAIN!

13 (6%)
I think having our own local government strengthens us as a community.

62 (32%)
In a consolidated government, I would have to drive too far for public meetings or to obtain services.

1 (0%)
I have a friend or relative who works for our local government and consolidation might cost him or her a job.

1 (0%)
I don't. I'd be happy to consolidate.

115 (59%)
Total votes: 192

The politicians we elected be it Democrat or Republican have sold our jobs to overseas countries.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/free-trade-or-fair-trade-20-reasons-why-all-americans-should-be-against-the-insane-trade-policies-of-the-globalists

The truth is that there is a vast difference between "free trade" and "fair trade", and in this article it spells it out. The United States has dozens of trading relationships that are highly destructive to the U.S. economy. Our public sector leaders whether it be governors, mayors or Congress or House are selling us out.

While millions of Americans are losing their jobs, federal employees (plus state & local I may add) making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession's first 18 months — and that's before overtime pay and bonuses are counted.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-12-10-federal-pay-salaries_N.htm

While the compensation gap between the new elite class of public vs private worker has widened and we as taxpayers continue to work for less and less every year.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-03-01-1Apublicworkers01_ST_N.htm

The sad part is this sector produces no goods or services that adds value to the country's wealth. All it does is destroy wealth and add to our nation's deficit which stands close to a record $15 TRILLION!

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Only a matter of time to an economic collapse

I know one thing. When the economy tanks...one area that will be employing more public workers is the judicial branch as correctional officers.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6523231_salaries-corrections-officer.html

California was the highest-paying state for correctional officers and jailers in 2008, the BLS reported, with an average annual wage of $63,230, or $30.40 per hour. New Jersey was second as the only other state with an average annual wage above $60,000, at $62,240, which works out to $29.92 per hour. Massachusetts and Nevada were third and fourth, with average annual salaries of $54,850 and $54,820, respectively, while New York was fifth with an average annual salary of $53,530.

Crime rate always goes up when people become desperate and look for alternatives besides food stamps to putting food on the table.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/29SNAPcurrPP.htm

It is hard to believe what is happening to America. Today, there are over 45 million Americans on food stamps. That number has increased by approximately 12 percent in the last year alone.