Picking up where I left off with my last column, I would like to share some thoughts and observations about the proposed regional Camden County fire and/or police force being pushed as a means to reduce or slow the growth of local property taxes.
Let’s just put the idea of joining a paid county fire department right into the trash where it belongs. In Haddonfield, we have one of the finest (and oldest) volunteer fire companies. Sure, local taxes support the funding of equipment, training, supplies and some operational expenses — some of which could be shared with others. But with a force of local volunteers, why would we opt into a paid county fire department, with full-time salaries and benefits, which would end up costing us more?
Police protection is another matter, of course. The idea of sharing or regionalizing local police services deserves serious and careful consideration. The cost efficiencies involving personnel, equipment and overhead could be substantial. But, any study or analysis of the feasibility of a county police force must address several important questions.
What are the potential public safety risks involved in a county department? Would service levels, response times, and familiarity with the borough and its residents change for the worse? It’s hard to imagine a county police force measuring up to our local department.
Are the needs of other Camden County communities the same as Haddonfield’s? Some probably are — others are definitely not. Perhaps sharing police services with similar, contiguous towns could work, but lumping our public safety needs with a much larger town like Cherry Hill, urban city like Camden, or spread-out rural area like Winslow probably doesn’t make sense.
Will shared police services be forced on us or will it be a choice we are allowed to make? Financial incentives from Trenton or the county might be enticing — but let’s hope they won’t be punitive in nature, such as withholding funds to punish taxpayers that choose to fund their own department.
And what about Camden County’s track record? A Board of Freeholders that has spent too many years wasting tax dollars, granting illegal benefits, rewarding political pals with patronage jobs, and taking private property through eminent domain for private development (the Pennsauken Mart) shouldn’t get any of us excited over the prospect of them running a large public safety operation. Machine politics and patronage have no place in a police department — at least not in Haddonfield.
Don’t get me wrong — I am passionate about finding cost-savings, lowering the property tax burden, and eliminating duplication of services in government. But I’m also just as concerned about providing quality services and enhancing public safety. Some things are worth paying for — and you’ll pay the price — just like your choice of the car you drive, the house you live in, the clothes you wear or the vacation you take. Or the police force you trust with your family’s safety.
Feel free to let me know what YOU think.
Commissioner Jeff Kasko
Director of Revenue & Finance
Borough of Haddonfield
