Fw: just a question

I received this question from Donna. If anyone has the answer please post your answer as a comment.

The Edgewater Park Reporter

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Donna
To: edgewaterparkreporter@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 12:33:51 AM
Subject: just a question

Hello, I read your blog once in a while and I was wondering if you could answer a question that I have.  I see that you seem to know much about our town and I was wondering if you happen to know what is in the old bank building on Cooper and Green Streets.  If I am bothering you with my question, I apologize, however I just thought maybe you knew and would be willing to share the information.  I happened to notice the decorations in the windows of the bank, however I have not noticed a sign.

 

Either way, thank you for informing the community.

 

Donna

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Link to the Edgewater Park Township Administrator's Eviction Letter sent to the Sewer Authority

http://www.lpcnj.org/OGTF/ESPA.pdf

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REVALUATION UPDATE LETTER FROM THE EDGEWATER PARK TAX ASSESSOR

EDGEWATER PARK  REPORTER NEWS FLASH

See information and email sent to me this morning from Candidate for Township Committee, Chuck Ryder, concerning a Revaluation Order from the Burlington County Board of Taxation.

Please read my comments at the end, E.P. Reporter

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Chuck Ryder
To: edgewaterparkreporter@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 7:56:10 AM
Subject: FW: REVALUATION UPDATE

 

---

Dear Edgewater Park Reporter:

 

    I would appreciate if you would publish the attached copy of a letter sent to the County Tax Board from Edgewater Park's Tax Assessor on behalf of Township Committee to request a postponement of the Reval Order.  I don't know why the Township didn't appeal the order back in June when they had the legal opportunity to do so, as Mt. Laurel and Hainesport did.  A day late and a dollar short, all of a sudden they have concerns about the housing market and our declining home values.  These issues were just as bad back in June when they had a legitimate recourse to do the right thing and file an appeal. Missed opportunities seem to be the forte of our governing body.    

Thank you,   

Chuck Ryder 

 _____________________________________________________________________________________

*********************************************************

 The Residents of Silver Park (Dennis this means you) should read this letter. It reveals the true position of the Township Committee on the Burlington County Tax Board's Order to conduct a Revaluation of properties in Edgewater Park. 

Mr. Ryder also has copy of correspondences from the Tax Board that shows the Tax Board has been warning the Township Committee during the past two years that Edgewater Park needed to do a revaluation. The Burlington County Tax Board is presently comprised of two members who are both Governor Corzine Democratic Appointees. 

The Burlington County Tax Board is supposed to have five members, according to the State of NJ,whose membership majority reflects the political party that controls the Governors Office, so the Burlington County Tax Board has three vacancies. I have verified this information with the links highlighted, so that you can verify this information.

The Edgewater Park Reporter

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Part 2; Tom Pullion's Dismal Nine Year Economic Record for Edgewater Park

Tom Pullion was first elected to office in Nov. 1998 and started his service as our Committeeman in 1999. Tom's platform was the redevelopment of Edgewater Park's Rt 130 corridor for tax ratables and restarting the stalled Silver Park residential development. 

Tom Pullion also pledged to see that no additional high density housing (apts., condos & townhouses) would be approved by the Township, as long as he was serving on Committee. Tom Pullion also supported the proposed Open Space Tax for preserving the remaining open space in Edgewater Park. Tom Pullion later turned his back on this, by voting not to use the Open Space Tax to preserve the remaining open space in Edgewater Park but to use it on field maintenance instead. Tom Pullion has pushed for the residential development on the properties slated in the Open Space Plan for preservation.   

Tom Pullion's first term of office (2000-2002) record;

1. Tom pushed the Planning Board (was a member), to fast track the approvals for Phase 2 & 3 of Silver Park West. This fast tracking required the Planning Board to issue numerous variances and changes due to the Developer not building the project according the the approved site plans. These and many other inspection items, are the cause of the many issues in litigation between the builder, the township and the Silver Park West Homeowners Association. Our taxes are still paying (check the Edgewater Park Meeting Agendas for this year) the legal cost for Tom Pullion's pushing to fast track this project. 

2. The Dunken Donuts, and Super Wawa were built during Tom's first term.

3. The Burlington Coat Factory received their 30 Year Tax Abatement deal from the 2001 Township Committee, that has proven to be a bad deal for Edgewater Park. The proof that this was a bad deal are the statements made by Tom, in answer to the many criticisms of this tax abatement. Tom said (in his 2002 campaign) that the municipal taxes would be lowered because of this deal and that we would see the positive effects very soon. It is six years since his 2002 promise. We are also waiting for the two Pad sites owned by the Coat Factory on each side of the Rt 130 entrance to be developed. The only so called benefit to Edgewater Park is the increased COA obligation due to the number of employees working at the Coat Factory. The additional ancillary support businesses that were to be generated because of the Coat Factory have not materialized.

4. The Open Space properties were identified that the Township Committee wanted to preserve as part of our Open Space Plan that was adopted by Tom and Committee.

Tom Pullion's second term of office (2003-2005) record;

1. Tom objected (2004) to working with the Burlington County Freeholders with their (the County) efforts to redevelop the Rt. 130 Corridor. The results of this decision are very apparent, just look across the highway to Willingboro, or ride north to Burlington Twp or south to Delran and Cinniminison to see the difference.

2. Tom was behind the hiring of  Management and Government Resources, Inc. for $30,000 to market the Edgewater Park Rt. 130 Corridor, instead of using the Burlington County Economic Development Office (free) as Willingboro and other towns did. The $30,ooo fee cost one cent per $100 dollars of assessment on our local tax rate. Now what business did this contract bring ? None what so ever. Instead M.G.R., Inc. pushed the committee to change the zoning to allow for the building of condos, apartments and townhouse along Rt 130 as well as the areas adjacent to the rail line.

3. Tom Pullion and Committee signed an agreement of sale for the township owned property (Old Drive Inn) without getting any appraisals, to establish the value of this property. Tom knew that the buyer planned to build multifamily senior housing with some affordable units on. Thank god the deal fell apart! but beware Tom Pullion and Committee are still trying to push this residential idea for the Rt. 130 property. Did you ever sell property and not get a appraisal to establish the value for it from your broker? Well Tom Pullion and Committee did.

4. Tom Pullion and Committee turned down a NJ Green Acre Grant that would have covered the cost of several parcels of open space land that the Township purchased and planed to pay for with this grant. Tom Pullion and Committee rejected this grant because as Tom Pullion said, the public use of the open space properties would have to be open for anyone. This rejection has required Edgewater Park to borrow the money to pay for these properties instead of the grant. This has reduced our borrowed money (Municipal Bonds) that we  could have used for additional street paving projects. Not now, just ask. The township can issue more bonds, but this would increase the outstanding loans (Bonds & Notes) requiring much more of the township budget to be dedicated to principal and interest payments and not  for municipal services.

Tom's third term of office (2005-2008) record;

1. Tom Pullion pushed to change the Master Plan (Just upgraded) to allow high density multi-family housing on Rt. 130 along with commercial  instead of the Master Plan's just commercial development.

2. Tom Pullion along with Committee and the Administrator are pushing the Sewerage Authority to pay for sewer lines to be installed in areas of town that lack them now, with the sewer rate (tax) payers paying for this cost, not the developers. This has never been done by the Sewerage Authority for any of the developments previously built in Edgewater Park. Tom wants this to be done now for the developer who has received approvals to build a shopping center next to the RV Dealership as well as Perkins Lane so that residential developers will build houses on the tree farms.

3. Tom Pullion voted for a tax abatement ordinance for developers, and this was passed in September 2008.

 

4. Tom Pullion voted with the Mayor and Committee to evict the Sewerage Authority costing the tax payers an additional 1/2 cent on the property tax increase.

5. Tom Pullion voted, to not use the Open Space Tax colected to  purchase the last remaining farms, thereby ignoring the voters who overwhelming approved this tax in 2000, to be used for that purpose. 

If you want to see what Tom Pullion has accomplished with his nine years as a Mayor and Township Committeeman in attracting good ratables and the economic development of our town, just ride up and down Rt. 130 and compare the Edgewater Park section to the other towns along Rt. 130.

 

You have, or will receive, several election mailers from Tom Pullion and his friends, asking for your vote on November 4th, to support Tom and to keep his development progress going, and he will tell you again, how his plan will lower your taxes. Are you going to beleive Tom Pullion again?

Just look at Tom Pullion's past dismal nine year record to see what you can expect for the next three years if Tom is re-elected. 

Don't take my word on  Tom's  record, just take a ride on Rt. 130 and look at what other towns have accomplished with the Burlington County Freeholder's help. A picture is worth a thousand words.

The Edgewater Park Reporter    

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NJ Environmental Federation Visits Edgewater Park to Solicit Funds and Support for Adler. They are comming to your door!

Have you been visited by members of the NJ Environmental Federation (NJEF)? They are going door-to-door and asking for contributions as well as support for John Adler for Congress. The member who came to the door claimed that Mayor Hall and the Administrator Dougherty gave them permission to solicit funds. She had a copy of a Solicitors Permit signed by Mayor Hall and Ad

Administrator Dougherty.

The following is a copy of the handout left with me.

Please read the next to the last sentence in the box at the bottom of the Flier. It states "NJEF member groups with 501 (c) (3) tax status do not participate in decisions or activities to support political candidates."

After reading this flier, how can the NJEF expect you to support them with money, when they are violating the Federal 501 (c) (3) Tax Exempt laws? 

I will be sending this to the IRS and the NJ Election Enforcement Commission as a complaint.

Anyone soliciting for funds in Edgewater Park must have a photo ID as well as a permit, with the persons name on it as well as the name of the organization they are soliciting for. If they cannot show this ID and permit, then call 911 and report them to the dispatcher who will send a Police Officer out to investigate.

I couldn't believe that a reputable organization would stoop to this level and solicit funds as a tax exempt group, and while doing that hand out a flier endorsing a candidate, and that flier indicating its 501 (c) (3) status. 

Do not give one cent or one minute of your time to these liars, who are masquerading as an environmental group to cover what they really are; a political action organization trying to circumvent the law. Shame on any politician who uses this groups endorsement for their campaign. Don't vote for them!

Check out who is on the NJ Environmental Federation Staff at  http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=43087937

The Edgewater Park Reporter     

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Depressed In Edgewater Park

I think we who criticized the Beverly Free Library Board actions concerning the way they handled the rental of the old pharmacy, have made our point on how the bad decisions and the attempted cover up of those decisions, hurt the Library, the public and the community in general.

Time to move on to a very depressing troubling development in Edgewater Park.

This depressing development is the fact and my prediction, that in the upcoming election for two township committee seats, the past record of the incumbent Committeeman Pullion will not stop him from being reelected.

Nine Year Committeeman Tom Pullion

Gee why is he smirking?

I will be doing a multi-part post article on the record of Committeeman Pullion, who is seeking reelection to township committee this November.

The voters of Edgewater Park have reelected Committeeman Pullion twice and he has served for nine years on township Committee. Of those nine years, Committeeman Pullion's party (Democrat) has had township committee control for eight of those years.

I will expose the record of those eight years to see if you think he deserves another three years on township committee.

I will have a Blog Poll on this question and would like very much to encourage your comments concerning Committeeman Pullion's record as your representative, and manager of your tax dollars.

Edgewater Park voters in the past, usally never voted for the party candidate in local elections, but for the person based on his/her record, no matter what the voters party affiliation was. Edgewater Park was known for its ticket splitting. Sadly this is no longer true as the past several elections have shown.

Part One: Ten Year Edgewater Park Local Purpose Property Tax Record; Committeeman Pullion's Legacy

We have had one party control for the past nine out of ten years. During this time, our municipal tax has increased 74.5%, from $557.53 per year for an average home, to $973.15 for the same average home. This 74.5% increase is the largest percentage increase of any of the taxes that make up your property tax bill, including the school district which went up 40.2% during the same time.

Did you receive a 74.5% increase in pay from your 1998 wages?

So this begs the question, why are you going to reelect a committeeman who voted to raise taxes 74.5% during the nine years he has been on committee? Your continued support for the reelection of a committeeman who has proven that he is not capable of good management of your hard earned tax dollars, will guarantee that our town will end up like Willingboro, Beverly, and Pennsauken.

These towns were once lovely, thriving and wonderful communities to raise a family and now are communities people avoid moving to if they can afford it. This disdain is reflected in the prices of the homes sold in those communities, verses the prices of homes in the communities right next door. To check this just simply check out the real estate section of the newspapers.

Of course you will hear how committeeman Pullion's taxes also increased, but how he had no choice but to support the tax increases, because to do otherwise would have decreased municipal services. If this is true, then how come our municipal services have not improved by 74.5% ?

In today's 10/5/08 BCT front page article "Property taxes in 30 towns increase" it states that "Edgewater Park was one of the towns with the "largest tax rate increases". The towns are; Burlington City, up 20.3 cents; Evesham, up 18.5 cents; Mt. Holly, up 17.5 cents and Edgewater Park , up 14.3 cents followed by Fieldsboro, up 12.9 cents and Palmyra, up 12.3 cents. Could it be a coincidence that five of the six towns are governed by Democrats with Mt. Holly the exception. Edgewater Park's Municipal Local Purpose Tax ($.981) is the 10th highest out of 40 towns in Burlington County. This puts Edgewater Park as one of the top leaders in property tax increases in the county. Is this something we want our town to be a leader of?

Do you continue to reward a poor nine year record of fiscal management with your vote this November for Committeeman Pullion even if he is on the Democratic Ticket?

My bet is yes!- the majority of Edgewater Park voters today, cannot separate their vote locally and will continue to support a proven bad manager of our tax dollars, because Committeeman Pullion is a Democrat. Hence our town will continue its decline in quality of life and will probably advance upward in the 'Highest Municipal Tax Rate' standings. Who knows, if Committeeman Pullion, as I predict, wins this November, we may even reach number one on that list next year.

Prove me wrong! Do somthing to change our 'Township Committee's taking your vote forgranted- split your vote- show that you will not reward the poor management with your vote!

The next Post Article will be on; The Failure of Edgewater Parks Economic Development under Committeeman Pullion's Nine Year Term of Office.

Please send in your comments,

The Edgewater Park Reporter

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