Courage to Connect NJ

There is a very good reason home rule (0.00 / 0)

has worked for years here.  We are already sharing services between towns. Firefighters and DPW workers roll their eyes every time "shared services" comes up - because they are already doing it - teaming up with other towns to save money in things like the Riverside Cooperative to save on everything from a new bucketloader to asphalt.

Because of home rule, there are no forgotten corners or wards of big cities like happen in other states like NY where things are so centralized in cities that whole areas become derelict, crime-ridden and forgotten.  That only seems to happen in our big cities too - Camden, Hackensack, Newark, Paterson.

We like being from small towns at the same time we live in the most densely populated state.  In large cities in other states, some areas the size of one of our small towns get left - derelict and forgotten.  With our small towns, this is rare.  Local control is something NJ residents want.  They don't like the bureaucracy prevalent in large towns and cities.  The problems and solutions are local, small and much more easily managed.  Bigger is not necessarily better when it comes to towns and cities.

The ONLY place it makes sense is when it comes to school superintendents - but these jobs can be shared.  Superintendent salaries have made sharing them cost effective. Towns are already sharing court services and even building inspectors and zoning officers.  But there is no need to create big cities when NJ folks prefer to live in small towns.

One Vote.  Yours.  It really does matter.

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by: carolh @ Tue Jun 07, 2011 at 21:27:23 PM UTC

Courage to Connect (0.00 / 0)

I agree the small town feel is important, but at least here in Bergen County, we are doing VERY little shared services and it is burying us. Yes we have mutual aid in public safety, but that is the extent of it.  There is hardly any going on in public works.

I think we can find a way to have both--small town feel and efficiencies.  You have to remember that NJ also has a strong County system--unlike CT or MA.  Some states have weak towns and strong counties--some have weak counties and strong towns.  In NJ we have strong counties and strong towns.

We have to choose--with all our layers of govt in NJ, we are unsustainable and noncompetitive with other states.

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by: lalgrant @ Wed Jun 08, 2011 at 00:12:00 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

As a former Councilwoman (0.00 / 0)

I have to disagree with you.  In Bergen County there is such a thing as the Riverside Coop which has MANY towns that cooperatively purchase items and do their paving contracts collectively so as to reduce costs - and it works wonderfully.

I was also a fire Commissioner and knew firsthand that town fire departments also cooperate - and so do the Ambulance squads.  
As for the DPW, I was also head of THAT committee and I can tell you that even though the residents like to think they are better than the town next door, their blue collar employees have no such illusions and routinely work together and help each other out

As for the Building Dept. I was also on THAT committee and know that many building inspectors and zoning officers wokr part -time and so work in several towns at once to make up a paycheck.  

My experience tells me that your assumptions of how these small towns are actually governed is incorrect.

One Vote.  Yours.  It really does matter.

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by: carolh @ Wed Jun 08, 2011 at 00:39:03 AM UTC