HOPEWELL: Setting the record straighter

To the editor:

In his letter to the editor last week, Hopewell Township Mayor Kevin Kuchinski claims to “set the record straight” on finances and affordable housing.

Regarding the $12 million township surplus at the close of 2015, Mayor Kuchinski writes that his current $10.8 million surplus is “35 percent higher than our past 20-year average.” The simple truth is that our surplus is down 10 percent since he took control of the budget in 2016. Rather than admit that he raided the surplus, the mayor went to some effort to create unwarranted positive spin, apparently to mislead the public and hide this simple fact.

Likewise, his talk about reducing debt cannot hide the fact that Mayor Kuchinski incurs new debt every year, including $3.3 million this year. Since he wrote that the township’s 2017 Triple-A bond rating is evidence of its “strong financial management,” the same “strong financial management” was enjoyed by the township prior to Mayor Kuchinski in 2015 when the township’s Triple-A bond rating was also re-affirmed.

Before the partisan political posturing begins by Mayor Kuchinski’s political cronies, who are troubled by the truth, let’s re-cap:

1. Under Mayor Kuchinski, our surplus is down $1.2 million, which is 10 percent less than where the surplus started before he was mayor;
2. Mayor Kuchinski has borrowed money to balance his budget every year as mayor;
3. The Township’s Triple-A bond rating was also re-affirmed in 2015.

Now, without political spin, the record is clear and straighter.

Regarding affordable housing, Mayor Kuchinski merely makes unsupported financial claims and predictions. Such fantasy has not been verified or proven or subject to public scrutiny. He bases his claims on guess-work, “translations,” and “guidelines,” but certainly not actual, verifiable proof.

While Mayor Kuchinski’s partisan political cronies may be satisfied with such baseless claims, his unverified political posturing is neither truth nor worthy of reliance or belief.

So much for setting the record straight.

Harvey Lester

Titusville