Here we go again.
The country is in a recession, the country is bankrupt, the state is bankrupt and the economy is in the toilet.
Our town officials and Board of Education want to acquire the Bancroft property at over $12 million. The mayor state in an article by Kathleen Duffy that this is a special opportunity and probably the best chance we’ve ever had of acquiring the property.
If we miss it, it would be a long time before anything like this would come again? Wrong.
Your town officials can pass an ordinance declaring a redevelopment zone in which they have the property appraised for fair market value by their hired appraiser.
If you do not accept the price they offer, they will take it by eminent domain.
The priority of the BOE should be to give your children the best schooling at the lowest cost to the taxpayer.
Haddonfield is a built out community.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the birth rate is way down, so why do we need to reserve land for future educational purposes?
The referendum calls for construction of one multi-purpose athletic field and related site parking, preserve historic buildings, demolish non-historic buildings, grade and seed the property, provide the borough with land necessary to meet legal obligations, for 10 affordable housing units.
This $12.5 million to be spent is more about 10 affordable housing units mandated by the state of New Jersey.
Your borough officials have been looking for a way out of this problem.
Nobody wants them built in their neighborhood.
The borough officials by using the BOE to sell the public the idea of new athletic fields and educational purposes would make it easier to obtain the property.
If the referendum passes and the BOE defaults on the bonds, we the taxpayers will be responsible.
But don’t worry, they will just increase your taxes.
Do you really think if the bonds pass, the property usage will remain the same?
Dr. Richard Perry, Superintendent of Schools, in his “Special to The Sun” states that “Haddonfield High School” has the smallest per acre facility out of all the schools in the Colonial Conference.
So what difference does it make?
It’s not being properly maintained anyway.
Haddon Heights and Audubon are about the same size and also land locked.
He also states your property taxes will only go up $189 per year. If you believe that, you believe in the tooth fairy.
He talks about the referendum proposal that was reduced from $16.8 million to $12.5 million due to the borough being able to make use of $3.5 million of Green Acre and open space grants. You are taxed for these grants. No free money.
Perry also says to save taxpayers money, the district increased its tuition revenue with bringing in out of town students.
Why would we need to reserve land for future educational purposes if we have much room in our schools?
Perry has no roots here when his contract with the BOE is up and he is offered more money from another source, he will move on.
Your town officials and members of the BOE will have moved on. Our officials need t to take fiscal responsibility.
I am not against funding quality education. I have lived in this town since I was a baby, went to Haddonfield High School during the 1950s when you had sending districts from Cherry Hill, Gibbsboro and Runnemede.
I received a good education from the original high school. We had a great football team.
So how did we get along with one natural grass field?
Now to the synthetic turf fields.
I am in a business where I know something about it.
When most of the professional sports teams went back to natural turf, there was need to find new sources for the product.
The manufacturers found the schools were an ideal place to go. It needs to be replaced about every eight to 10 years.
If the Haddonfield community turf field committee can raise the full amount of the money and money for the field and maintenance, they should go for it.
I do not think the taxpayers should pay for any of the fields.
Remember, it needs to be replaced every eight to 10 years.
Natural turf is much better for the environment and, if maintained right, should be a lot less money.
By the way, it’s only been a short time ago when the BOE had to lay off teachers and the borough had to lay off employees.
I will be voting no on the referendum.
H. Nelson Euler III
Haddonfield
