November is closing in and the race for two seats on the Township Committee is heating up.
Vying for the one, three-year seat are Democrat incumbent Dean T. Mazurek and Republican Michael S. Friedman.
This week, The Sun asked all the candidates two questions:
1.) If elected, what would be your top priorities?
2.) Do you have any cost cutting or revenue-generating ideas that might help Voorhees address upcoming budget challenges?
Their responses are below.
Michael S. Friedman
1.) My top priority if elected to Committee is to restore residents’ faith in their local government by bringing balance and common sense to Committee on behalf of the taxpayers so that we can eventually lower these oppressive property taxes. After a decade of massive tax increases, rising debt, backroom deals, out of control spending and a lack of communication with its citizens, Voorhees residents have a right to feel frustrated and ignored. When elected, I will be a watchdog for the taxpayers and shine a light on all government action by having it posted online. Not only the projected budget, but every single check and deal must be disclosed to ensure that the Committee treats your money with respect. If the Committee won’t post the information online and make it simple to access, then I will maintain my own Web site and do it myself. This will help to end expensive no bid contracts are handed to professionals in return for campaign contributions leaving residents to pay the tab, and will keep the Committee on its toes to be efficient with every cent.
Our country was founded on checks and balances, not unchecked one party rule. Without balance on the Committee, we are stuck with the same stale ideas that keep taxes going up and keep government from being effective and responsive to the changing economy. Our families need to look at all sides of issues when planning for our fiscal future; I want to hold government to the same standard.
With that balance will come increased transparency. Aside from my Web disclosure pledge mentioned above, I will have an open-door policy at all times. Residents will all have my cell phone number and personal e-mail and may reach me contact me anytime with issues and concerns. I will also hold a regular monthly “open meeting” at the Country Club Diner in town. I will sit down at a table and meet with any resident who has questions or simply just wants to chat about what is going on in Voorhees. By opening the lines of communication between residents and the Committee, we can make Voorhees a better place.
2.) Instead of simply pointing the finger and blaming the state like the Committee does, I would like to take the challenges to the budget as an opportunity to get our own municipal finances in line. Just as families in our town and across the country are discovering that we all must learn to do more with less, our local government should do the same. We can find significant cuts in our budget while still maintaining the standard of services that Voorhees taxpayers expect and deserve, but I am afraid that it may never happen unless we start electing new leaders on Committee.
The Committee should quickly support the 2 percent cap on property tax increases and stop treating the Voorhees taxpayer as some unlimited ATM. The Committee could first look to themselves for savings. I have pledged to not accept any taxpayer-funded benefits. This would save hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years if the rest of the Committee would do the same. Sadly, they refuse. We should also open up the bidding process for municipal services, instead of giving no bid contracts to political contributors. Finally, we should look to private-public partnerships for some services, and shared services with neighboring towns for others. Any option to cut costs should be considered. The taxpayers of our town cannot afford three more years of the same failing policies. With your vote I will work to turn our budget around.
Dean T. Mazurek
1.) If elected to Committee, I hope to be able to continue the work on the programs and plans that will reduce the size of government, reduce the township¹s debt and do more with less. These are programs that Township Committee is already working on.
The top priority is to control the municipal tax rate for our residents. The municipal tax rate is 15 percent of your total tax bill and is the only portion of your tax bill that Township Committee can control. There are a number of ways that Township Committee is currently wording on this challenge. One way is reduction in the cost of efficient services to the residents of Voorhees. We have cut costs by having nine fewer employees in our different township departments and offices than when I started serving on Township Committee. This has been accomplished through attrition and the planning we have done through merging our construction and zoning offices, through merging our Public Works and Parks Department and development of our automated trash system. We are planning to automate our recycling system as well, which would mean fewer employees would have to be rehired as other retire. Through these mergers and efficiencies, we are moving forward to do more with less and continue to save costs which helps stabilize the local tax rate.
We are also working on controlling the municipal tax rate by increasing non-property tax revenue through programs such as the hotel tax, which is paid by visitors and by cutting spending on planned projects that had been requested by Voorhees organizations and residents. These are tough financial choices that are made through a series of meeting each year.
2.) The state continues to provide new challenges that effect Voorhees taxpayers. During our budget meetings this year, Township Committee was faced with many challenges such as rising costs that were out of our control. We were faced with insurance increases of close to 8 percent as well as contractual cost increases of almost 4 percent. Facing close to 12 percent in mandatory cost increases this year, our actual spending this year was only one-half percent over last year. This was made possible by reduction in spending in other areas and the smaller number of our employees that we have.
In mid-March, Voorhees Township had more than $550,000 taken away from us by the state. Had it not been for the state aid that was taken away from us at the eleventh hour by the governor’s office, our budget would have been balanced with no tax increase this year.
Moving forward, as a member of Township Committee I will fight for every dollar available to help control our property taxes, not walk lockstep with those who are hindering us.
We can address the state moves with moves of our own. Our Township Committee has reduced our township debt more than 40 percent since I have been a member and we plan necessary future projects in a manner that will least effect our overall debt service. We can utilize any and all available money from the state to positively effect the quality of life for Voorhees residents. Most importantly, we can voice our displeasure and concern to those who are taking money that is due Voorhees taxpayers and given to others.
Thank you for your time. And please remember to vote on Nov. 2.
