Haddonfield had a lot happen in 2014 and a lot of big decisions had to be made. In 2015, the borough will see many of the projects and decisions that were started in the previous year come to a close.
The biggest decision the borough had to make was whether to sell its water and sewer utility. A hotly debated topic, ultimately Haddonfield voters made the decision to sell the utility to New Jersey American Water for $28.5 million, with about 65 percent of voters choosing “yes” on election day.
According to Mayor Jeff Kasko, the sale is under review by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. He anticipates approval in early 2015, with a hand-off of the system and payment from NJAW to Haddonfield shortly thereafter. As of now, the timeline is looking like the Board of Public Utilities approval will be made by February or March, with a closing date and payment for the system by late March or April.
“If all goes as planned, New Jersey American Water will begin making several million dollars worth of improvements in 2015, and the residents of Haddonfield should keep enjoying safe, clean drinking water and sanitary sewer services, just as they have in the past,” Kasko said.
NJAW will be paying $28.5 million for the utilities, with $16 million of that having to cover the debt the borough invested into the utilities. That leaves $12.5 million for the borough to use toward other projects. The borough must make sure the money goes toward borough debt. A few possibilities have been discussed, but there has not been a decision as to how the money shall be used.
“The commissioners, and many residents, have discussed how to utilize these funds in a general manner. Those uses include payment of outstanding water and sewer bonds, payment of a portion of the borough’s general obligation debt, increasing annual spending on roads and other public infrastructure, and keeping property taxes flat. These, and other possible uses, will be discussed thoroughly and openly, with plenty of taxpayer input,” Kasko said.
There are many other projects that are planned to be done in 2015, according to Kasko. There will be a redevelopment plan for the Bancroft contract, renovations to the library, the paving of Grove Street and an examination of potential improvements to the borough’s zoning ordinances.
“We will be reviewing what road and stormwater projects might be feasible in the future. We will have continued budgetary challenges in 2015, including the costs for salaries, health benefits and retirees.
“As mayor, I will also be unveiling a government efficiency and accountability project in 2015,” Kasko said.
Those details will be revealed either at the commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at Borough Hall or the 43rd Annual Mayor’s Breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 17.
The 43rd Annual Mayor’s Breakfast, hosted by the Haddonfield Lions Club, will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, 20 Kings Highway East, beginning at 9 a.m.
Tickets are $7 each and will be available at the door.
Kasko, along with fellow Commissioners Neal Rochford and John Moscatelli, will deliver the annual State of the Borough Address. Kasko will then present the 2015 Citizen of the Year Award, which honors a member of the community for exceptional dedication to betterment of the borough.
At the Mayor’s Breakfast, the Lions will be collecting eyeglasses, hearing aids and cell phones for recycling. And again this year, the club will collect non-perishable food items for the Food Pantry at the John D. Young Memorial Blind Center in Absecon.
For additional information about the breakfast, contact event chairperson Tom Baird at TomBaird@comcast.net.
“We have many challenges ahead, but I am looking forward with enthusiasm to the New Year and to bringing people together and finding solutions that continue to move our town in the right direction.
“We have a rich past, an interesting present and an exciting future in Haddonfield. I would like to thank the residents of Haddonfield for their involvement, their efforts and their ideas, which make our town so great. And I would like to wish them a happy and prosperous new year and thank them for granting me the privilege of serving as mayor and commissioner,” Kasko said.
Edit: This article holds corrections that were printed in the Jan. 7–13 edition of The Haddonfield Sun. It will be the 43rd Annual Mayor’s Breakfast, not the 42.
