Author Topic: Shared Services  (Read 23075 times)

ericmartindale

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Shared Services
« on: August 10, 2006, 08:04:22 PM »
Those who have followed the news surely have seen that Governor Corzine is undergoing a big push to merge school districts and municipalities all across the state of New Jersey.  He thinks this is a way to help rein in the increase in property taxes.

Here's a prediction: It is INEVITABLE that some high-ranking official will suggest that all the sending districts to Hackensack should merge with the City of Hackensack so that there is one municipality and one school district. 

That would mean Hackensack, Maywood, Rochelle Park, and South Hackensack would become one city. And throw in Teterboro, since it sends it’s few kids to the South Hackensack K-8 school.  I guess we’d have a total population of about 60,000.

I’m going to give this whole merger issue some serious thought, although I’ll say two things for now. 

(1) I’d be dead set against merging Hackensack with all of Bergen County, we’d have no voice and our rights would be trampled upon.  Forget zoning and planning, and the rest of Bergen County will throw down a welcome mat for all social services to come to Hackensack.

(2) I like the idea of Hackensack picking up South Hackensack and Teterboro.  We’d be gaining a lot of good housing stock and great commercial ratables.  Plus we'd theoretically would have extra say over the airport issue. We'd get a good-size school on a good size school campus that currently only serves a town of 3000 people, if that. Plus a police station that could remain a precinct station. Plus a borough hall building that could be put to "community" use. I think we could absorb South Hackensack and Teterboro without any impact on our own municipal structure.  I doubt their property taxes would go down, but ours certainly would.

As for other towns merging with Hackensack, I'm still thinking about it.  And who gets stuck merging with Bogota, and having to deal with their crazy mayor.

What do people think of Corzine’s idea of merging municipalities?  Is this a good idea?  If so, what towns should be merged?  Serious responses only, this is not an open invitation for jabs from hamburgler and average-joe.



Anthony

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2006, 10:24:51 PM »
Is Corzine really looking to merge municipalities?

He might set the wheels in motion to regionalize police, fire, and school districts.  To think he might be able to merge municipalities is absurd.  The residents of Maywood, Rochelle Park, and South Hackensack will never give up their autonomy and will only regionalize if they’re forced to.

Everyone is looking for property tax relief, but at what cost?  Nobody will sacrifice their hometown feeling to save a couple of hundred dollars in their property taxes.  And that’s all regionalization will save is a couple of hundred dollars per year.

Why would anyone think the residents of these small towns would accept regionalization with open arms?  I’m not sure of the specifics off the top of my head, but it wasn’t too long ago that Rochelle Park was exploring alternatives to sending their kids HHS. 

How would Maywood, Rochelle Park and South Hackensack feel if they had to PAY a fire department, centrally located in Hackensack, to fight fires in Hackensack and very few in their towns?  I can’t see the police chiefs in any of these towns giving way to Chief Zisa, nor can I see Chief Zisa giving up any of his authority with a regionalized police force.

Gradual implementation of regionalized services may work.  Start with the DPWs during snow storms or garbage collection.  Forget about police, fire and schools. 

PS  Hypothetically speaking, if Bogota was absorbed into Hackensack, the only council member that defeats Lonegan is Melfi.

Offline hamburglar

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2006, 02:27:33 AM »
Are you trying to censor me, Eric?  What makes you think I'm not comfortable with you deciding what towns that we should colonize?

ericmartindale

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2006, 06:13:10 PM »
I'm merely exploring a hypothetical situation that could result from Corzine's attempts to merge municipalities and school districts all across New Jersey.

I think ANTHONY hit the nail squarely on the head.  It's reasonable to predict that towns all across New Jersey will react the way he expects Maywood, Rochelle Park, and South Hackensack would react. 

In fact, if they suggested Hackensack and Teaneck to merge, I'd probably react the same way. Certainly Teaneck would gobble us up, since they send more than double the number of voters to the polls in LOCAL elections.

Nevertheless, Corzine does in fact want New Jersey to have far fewer than 566 municipalities.  So let's see how far Corzine gets with this initiative.

I'm also hoping that our editor will start posting news articles about Corzine's drive in this string, whether they directly mention Hackensack or not.

Hamburgler, I really do want your input on the merits of the issue. When you are not on the attack, you occasionally have intelligent things to say. Feel free to post.

Offline Editor

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2006, 11:56:19 AM »
I'm also hoping that our editor will start posting news articles about Corzine's drive in this string, whether they directly mention Hackensack or not.

If I don't post it, anyone can.  Just paste the link to the article within post.

ericmartindale

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2006, 09:40:23 AM »
Here’s an excerpt from James Ahearn’s column in the Sunday August 13, 2006 issue of The Record.  See page O-2: 

“The second bicameral committee, with an agenda of government consolidation and shared services, heard a Republican member, Sen. Joseph Kyrillos of Monmouth, propose something really radical: creation of an independent panel like the ones the military uses to choose bases for closing. This panel would decide which towns and school districts would continue to exist and which would be merged with others. Then the legislature would be allowed an up-or-down vote, all or nothing, the whole list or none of it."

Ahearn then goes on to comment that he doubts the Legislature would approve such a concept. 

Also, Ahearn describes that Senator Bob Smith, a Democrat from Middlesex County, proposes creating 21 county school districts, one per county.

Offline Editor

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2006, 10:41:15 AM »

Offline average Joe

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2006, 12:18:04 AM »
just minding my own business..figured id see whats new on "hack/now"..lo and behold! "eric the conqueror" plans to annex austria..er wait..thats teterboro..yet doesnt want me to "jab"him..dont know who this "hamburgler"is..think its "hamburglAr "s cousin?
dont know eric ,think these unsuspecting folks we re gonna take over have a right to know that YOU are part of the package?

ericmartindale

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #8 on: August 17, 2006, 09:55:44 AM »
It's amazing how I personally can be blamed for the regionalization plans of the Governor and other state officials.  I guess some people don't follow the news, and the first they hear about it is in my post. 

I wish I could take credit for the idea, but I cannot.  I will continue to post information on the topic as it developes from Trenton. 

By the way, there is an excellent book on the subject by David Rusk entitled: Cities Without Suburbs. Rusk is the former Mayor of Albequerque, New Mexico.
« Last Edit: August 19, 2006, 11:28:48 PM by Editor »

Offline Editor

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2006, 10:55:58 AM »
Latest story:  Close look at school consolidation

To turn sending-receiving relationships into integrated K-12 systems would pose other challenges. Consider Hackensack, a racially and economically diverse city. Its high school now receives pupils from largely white, suburban Maywood and Rochelle Park as well as South Hackensack. Maywood and Rochelle Park would resist full-scale merger. If merger were nevertheless ordered, the combined district would come under immediate pressure to integrate all the pupils. There would be immense commotion.

Offline average Joe

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2006, 07:04:30 PM »
mr editor,i am mildly,tho pleasently,surprised to see you express a perspective/opinion on an issue...wonder if the "brains" in trenton, if mandated "regionalisation" is in the offing, will calculate bus transportation into the mix?
beware the "simple" solution to anything...

ericmartindale

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #11 on: August 20, 2006, 07:23:10 PM »
Oh brother !!!

The editor of this website posted an excerpt from n editorial column in today's edition of the Record.  Nothing more, nothing less. He did not render his own opinion on the matter.  The opinion was that of The Record's long-time contributing columnist. 

Text in the Record's column shows that prominent people have long been talking about the very type of K-12 school regionalization scenario that I guessed would be considered for Hackensack and it's three suburban sending districts.  In fact, it was under consideration long before I started this string on this website. At least they were talking about the school regionalization part of it.


Offline Editor

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #12 on: August 20, 2006, 09:15:14 PM »
Average Joe:

Not sure how I feel about merging school districts. I just quoted that part of the editorial that mentioned Hackensack.

Overall, I think I'm willing to sacrifice some "homerule" if it reduces my tax burden. Municipalities should always be thinking about how they can share services without reducing quality of the service shared. 

I do agree with this portion of the League of Municipalities' stance:

Home rule is synonymous with self-determination: remove it or reduce it, and you infringe on the rights of voters. If the voters of two or more municipalities choose to consolidate, we support them. If, however, voters choose otherwise, that right must be respected. It would be a huge public policy mistake to attempt to slay the property tax dragon by disenfranchising voters.

Source: Don't make home rule the scapegoat for high property taxes
« Last Edit: August 20, 2006, 09:24:58 PM by Editor »

ericmartindale

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #13 on: August 21, 2006, 09:01:35 AM »
So you are saying that the best public policy would be for the voters in both towns to approve any potential merger. 

What a Bummer.  I was just thinking about dusting off my viking helmet to help lead the invasion, "Operation Bogota Freedom".  I guess there will be no pillaging or plundering of neighboring towns'. This whole democracy thing is really becoming a drag....lol.

ericmartindale

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Re: Shared Services
« Reply #14 on: August 24, 2006, 10:11:41 AM »
The dictator of Bogota had a very interesting op-ed piece on regionalization in the Opinion Section of today’s Record.  Click here for the op-ed piece.

What Lonegan didn’t mention is that he is harboring Weapons of Billboard Destruction (WBD’s).  Based on his past actions, there’s enough evidence to make the case to the people of Hackensack that Lonegan is plotting ethnic cleansing against all Latino people in Bogota. Maybe even all non-Irish people. Perhaps the time is right to convince the people of Hackensack to support  “Operation Bogota Freedom”. We can even seize his valuable oil tank reserves along the Hackensack River….lol

All humor aside, actually Lonegan made a couple of good points.  Cities of several hundred thousand people can get out of control in terms of spending and accountability.
« Last Edit: August 24, 2006, 11:45:01 AM by Editor »