To the editor:
The recent letter to the editor from the newly-appointed Zoning Board member Andrew Borders makes it seem as if the township’s recent PILOT agreement was an innovative and proactive effort to reduce our taxes.
Is Mr. Borders aware that the township, as part of its settlement agreement with the developer of the Zaitz tract, agreed to introduce the PILOT agreement. At a recent meeting, Deputy Mayor Julie Blake suggested that the PILOT was the township’s idea, only for the township administrator to correct her.
Mr. Borders was present at that meeting. It is hard to understand why he praises an agreement drafted and promoted by developers which steals substantial revenue from the school district.
Does Mr. Borders really think that it’s okay for developers to propose and demand the passage of township ordinances, let along one that provides a developer with an enormous tax break? It was amazing to witness the passage of this ordinance, with not a single Democratic committee member raising any objection or even asking tough questions.
Of course, the township will tell you that they have forwarded the school’s share of the developer’s revenue this year, but the reality of local government is that no township committee can bind a future committee to be so reasonable.
Do we have any experience at the local, state or federal level in which government endeavors to lay their hands on such a revenue source? Of course we do, and therein lies the reason why so many municipalities have come to avoid PILOT agreements, or at least to negotiate them in careful conjunction with the school district at their side.
The point, of course, is that this committee has lost control over local governance in very serious ways. Then they try to cheerlead horrible, unthinkable decisions as successes. On top of it all, the committee has been cancelling meetings with only one meeting a month in July, August and September.
Our local government is broken.
Cheryl Edwards
Hopewell Township
