FREEHOLD – The Borough Council has adopted a bond ordinance to fund projects that Freehold Borough residents recently selected to receive municipal funding.
The bond ordinance, adopted Nov. 20, provides for capital improvements. It appropriates $225,000 and authorizes the issuance of $213,500 in bonds and notes to finance a portion of the costs. The down payment for the improvements is $11,500, according to the ordinance.
The improvements authorized by the bond ordinance are a sidewalk replacement program, a pedestrian bridge near the Lake Topanemus dam and street lights in the downtown area.
Those three projects were selected from among 13 proposals during Freehold Borough’s first participatory budgeting initiative. Residents and business owners had the opportunity to vote for projects they wanted municipal officials to undertake.
The sidewalk replacement program was proposed by Lynn Reich and Christine Gregory, who said municipal officials will identify sidewalks in need of repair. The cost of sidewalk repairs will be divided between the borough and the homeowner, with the homeowner’s consent.
The Lake Topanemus Commission, which is chaired by Roger Kane, proposed the pedestrian bridge. The bridge, 50 feet long by 5 feet wide, will increase safety in an area at Lake Topanemus where people fish.
The additional street lights were proposed by Downtown Freehold Business Advocate Jeffrey Friedman on behalf of the organization. Friedman said more lighting will make visitors feel more comfortable and prompt them to stay in the downtown area longer when they visit the borough.
The participatory budgeting project gave residents and business owners a direct say in how a portion of the municipal budget would be spent.
Borough officials have said they hope participatory budgeting will directly involve residents in the budgeting and borough-building process, foster civic engagement and community spirit, and help ensure the town’s capital plan reflects the priorities of residents and stakeholders.
Participatory budgeting “represents our trust in the public and our desire to engage them in the democratic process,” said Councilman Ron Griffiths, who proposed the project to the council. “We want people who have never voted before to realize their vote does count and their voice is being heard.”
