Adults in office - Hamilton Township

Finally, a government entity in the state showing some adult leadership and attacking the problem of out of control spending. From today's Trentonian:

HAMILTON — The township plans to lay off 30 municipal employees, demote 20 more and eliminate 10 positions through attrition — all to save taxpayers a total of $3 million, the administration announced yesterday.

As expected, most of the layoffs are coming from departments dealing with the slumping housing market so municipal services are not expected to be seriously curtailed. The demotions, officials said, are geared to reduce the number of higher-paid supervisors.

And how did the township get into a situation where they had to take measures like these? The previous administration (Democrat) completely mismanaged the budget leaving the township 16 million dollars in debt. The voters threw them out in the last voting cycle. The new administration (Republican) decided they were going to have to grit their teeth and fix the problem:

Both Guhl and Mayor John Bencivengo expressed regret the layoffs are necessary.

“Workforce reductions are the most difficult and painful aspect of a chief executive’s duties,” Bencivengo said. “It is, in fact, a last resort. Unfortunately, our financial circumstances dictated this action, and what’s more, it is something that Hamilton taxpayers are demanding.”

Though more layoffs occurred in areas related to construction, the “reduction in force” plan touches every municipal department, except police, officials said.

Compare this course of action to the current legislature in New Jersey. They kicked off the year adding a half a billion dollars to a budget already 3 billion in the red. They now add a new tax for Paid Family Leave. They have proposed adding taxes for tolls, gasoline and new universal health care that the state cannot afford.

One of these days, the people of this state will wake up and realize that the war in Iraq has nothing to do with local politics. And on that day, when they realize what the politicians in this state have done, I hope they throw them all out. And better yet, if we ever get an Attorney General in this state, maybe, just maybe indictments will follow.

Read the entire article here.

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