Sparta Decision ‘O6

In preparation for next week’s council election, The Sparta Independent asked the seven officials candidates their views on the township’s priorities and their position on the school expansion. Here are their answers. The candidates are listed in alphabetical order. All the submissions were limited to 400 words. Brian L. Brady Accountability is lacking in our local government, the current Council does what it wants with our tax dollar without regard for our consideration. Who voted for the new municipal building (2+ years under construction)? Who voted for the new sidewalks down Main Street? Who voted for the new Fire House? Millions of Dollars, this must stop! I would never agree to spending millions of taxpayer dollars on infrastructure changes without voter input and approval. As a member of Council I would be reviewing all municipal spending on a bi-weekly basis for each department to ensure there is no waste and each department stays within budget. This is our community and we all have a say, not just the five members of the Council. If I am elected to Council you will always have a say and you will always be heard. Communication from the Council to the community is poor, once or twice a year you might get a newsletter mailed to you at taxpayer expense. I would approach the local newspapers to allow the Mayor to write a short article every week in order to keep all citizens up-to-date on all Township issues without expense. The School Board and Town Council need to work cooperatively; this only benefits the taxpayer when you can have shared services within local government. I will review every aspect of both operations in order to ensure we do not duplicate efforts in providing services and we share services wherever possible. I feel we can create incentives to bring in the right type of industry to the few remaining parcels of land for commercial and light industrial growth. This has been done successfully in other communities to ensure you attract clean and safe industry that does not burden your current infrastructure. I feel the School Board is currently moving in the right direction, they feel they have identified specific problems within their system as it relates to student population and are proposing a solution to the citizens of the Township who will ultimately have the final approval. Without voter approval the school board cannot move forward with their project. I am very much in favor of the citizens of the Township having the final voice, unlike the new Town Hall and the new Fire House which was approved by Township Council and we were taxed to fund without having that voice. Manny Goldberg My wife and I have lived in Sparta for over 30 years and have been fortunate to raise three sons who are active citizens in their own communities. This speaks volumes about Sparta and what it has to offer. Like any other successful American town, Sparta is a growing community that has to adjust to change. On my Web site, www.mannygforsparta.com, which I invite all of you to access, I list the key challenges we face: proper utilization of our taxes, attention to the needs of our youth and seniors, schools issues, traffic issues, recreation and management of town resources. Spartans need fresh ideas and new approaches to move forward in a positive direction. For too long, we have endured many frustrations: poor communications between local government and citizens, an unfriendly environment for small businesses, retention of large surpluses at taxpayers’ expense, the lack of proper planning for needed schools and recreation, poor infrastructure planning to support the needs of our citizens, and the Town Hall construction debacle. It’s time for the Town Council to address these issues and grow into the 21st century. The decisions that govern our future cannot be made by a small minority of individuals with special interests, but rather by the majority of the 12,000 voting citizens that make up our community. It is my fervent desire to represent all the citizens of Sparta and not just a select few. Your single vote matters: We, the people of Sparta, must make the ultimate decisions as to how our town is governed and managed. Regarding the proposed long overdue school expansion, we must decide this issue solely on what is best for the young people of our community and how it will affect the future of our town. As an aside, I find making phone calls to the electorate on the weekend prior to an election insulting to the intelligence of our townspeople and therefore do not plan on making that part of my election campaign. No matter which of the candidates you choose, I urge you to get out on May 9th and exercise your rights as Sparta citizens. This may very well be your only way of playing a critical role choosing the path that Sparta will be taking over the next several years. Please visit www.mannygforsparta.com to learn more about me. Thank you for your support. Ailish C. Hambel What are your priorities if elected to Sparta Council? Continue until we get it right, Customer Service: We have an independent and confidential survey of those who recently obtained permits from the Township’s Construction Code Office. We are seeking the opinion of every property owner / contractor who obtained a Certificate of Approval during the last quarter of 2005. The survey is designed to ascertain the response of the Township employees to a variety of issues relating to the permit and inspection process. The survey is anonymous. Supermarket: Make sure we continue to work with the developer of the Supermarket project to keep that project in keeping with Sparta’s standards, as well as expedite the other commercial developments on the bypass. White Lake: The White Lake property development should start in 2006. A master plan is being completed and the first phase will break ground in 2006. Field usage grows every year and additional space is a priority. Shared Services: Shared services are a valid way to keep costs to the township down, continue to explore ways to expand these services, make sure we give Sparta an out if the quality of the services are not up to our standards. Open Space: Continue to use every resource we can, County, State, Federal and our own open space funds to protect open space. Newton Sparta Road: Sussex County plans to expand Newton Sparta Road. Improvements are needed on Newton Sparta Road to handle the increasing traffic and safety issues. I will work with the County to develop a long-range plan to keep Newton Sparta Road safe and moving, but the viability of the businesses and the residential rural character in Sparta must be maintained. This will require modifications to the current plan. Economic Development: As a township we have identified an Economic Development Zone, this is located off of Route 15 at White Lake Road and Wilson Drive area. Continue to grow that area for clean commercial ratable that protect our Germany Flats Aquifer. Station Park: Protect Station Park’s beauty, keep it a Park. What is your position regarding the proposed school expansion ? School expansion: While understanding that we are not “The School Board of Education” we now have new board members, continue to work with the School Board and the School Administrators. We need to keep the school expansion affordable. I would like to suggest strongly that the Township Manager, the Township planner and the School Superintendent meet regularly. James Henderson My priorities are listed below, not in descending order. I consider them all of equal importance. 1- Improve customer service to residents. 2 - Continue close monitoring of residential development. 3 - Continue control of tax rate; annual scrutiny of budget in public meetings is important, and contributes to the minimal increase in the Municipal tax rate of 1.7¢ (average) over ten years. 4 - Expedite commercial development on Rt. 517 bypass/increase commercial ratables. 5 - Establish a liaison group of Council, County, and State to rework proposed expansion of Newton-Sparta Rd. and Rt. 517. The plan should address Sparta’s concerns and not facilitate the movement through Sparta of traffic that does not originate in Sparta. School renovation: This issue is not under the purview of the Township Council. We will continue to work with the Board of Education, especially with recently elected members. Personally, I support a renovation that is reasonable and affordable. Robert Lombardo “Building Sparta’s Tomorrow…Today” is my campaign slogan and plan. Preserving those fundamental characteristics that give Sparta Township its charm should be a concern for every Sparta resident. Management of Sparta’s future growth and its future impact on the infrastructure of Sparta is critical for the generations to come. Specifically I will, 1 - Maximize the essential shared municipal services; 2 - Improve the quality of life for all Sparta citizens; 3 - Curb taxes by prioritizing the most pressing needs so all current residents and future generations can live a long and fulfilling life in Sparta; 4 - Provide professional experience and objectivity so our youth can utilize the best educational resources; 5 - Continue to support essential services provided to all residents (i.e., Police, DPW, Library, Ambulance, FD, etc.) Maintain active oversight that demands ethical, fiscal, and principled accountability from all township employees and administrators. What is your position regarding the proposed school expansion? The educational issues and solutions facing Sparta residents and students rely heavily on the decisions of the Administration and the elected School Board. However, with that being said, I attended the most recent School Board meeting to better familiarize myself with the particulars of this evolving issue. I left feeling uneasy and disappointed about the professionalism and dialogue that was exchanged in light of a pending $72,500,000 project. As one of the older high schools in Sussex County, Sparta High School -- as a physical structure -- has become antiquated in many respects. As a resident of Sparta and Council Candidate, I would be in favor of an expansion and refurbishment of the existing facility to meet the educational requirements of today and tomorrow so long as the fiscal burden on Sparta taxpayers does not exceed local, county, and statewide trends. More importantly and regardless of my opinion, the decision rendered by the School Board and Administration needs to be disseminated to the public. An active informational campaign needs to be organized so citizens of Sparta can trust -- with reasonable certainty -- the information provided (i.e. facilities renderings, perceived improvements, proposed curriculum expansion, projected costs, etc.) is credible. Wayne Ring Since my election to the Council in November 2004, I have analyzed the township budget line item by line item, and slashed thousands of dollars of wasteful spending each year. I will continue to closely examine all expenditures, reducing wherever possible. I will attack the heavy-handedness and inefficiency of government in other aspects as well. For example, this municipal election costs the township over $10,000; double that if no single candidate receives over 50% of the vote, thus requiring a run-off election. This is because our government structure doesn’t allow for November elections as in other municipalities. I would encourage a public discussion to alter these rules. I will continue to oppose any new municipal construction projects. Previously, as a private citizen, I successfully fought against the five million dollar community center. Unfortunately, we’ve seen other extravagant projects approved and built. The new town hall is still under construction, after three long years! Had I been a member of the Council at the time, I would have voted against this project and demanded a less grandiose solution. I would encourage further open space acquisitions that benefit the township, particularly if funding is available from non-profit land preservation organizations. Next, I will pursue more shared services agreements with surrounding municipalities and the county. Lastly, I will propose a referendum restricting the government’s eminent domain power to take control of private lands for “re-development” purposes. I’m concerned that a future Council, in search of new funding sources, could condemn the properties of private homeowners in order to turn them over to developers. What is your position regarding the proposed school expansion? While this is not a Council matter, but rather a question between the Board of Education and the voters, I am personally opposed to the current referendum. The proposal is not simply an expansion of the existing facility, but rather a plan to build an entirely new school where the current one sits. That is why the stated cost of $72 million is so high, and will likely go higher. I do believe there is an enrollment issue that needs to be addressed. I have appeared before the Board and proposed a practical, cost-effective solution consisting of a reasonable addition to the high school. The Board should submit the upcoming demographic numbers for public review and be more open on the other four or five options presented to them. Michael Spekhardt My most important priority right now is to bring financial accountability to the voters of Sparta. This accountability will be achieved by obtaining value for all monies that the Sparta Council is entrusted to appropriately spend. There must be a more open dialogue used when communicating the information regarding the proposed budget and the actual monies spent. “Business as Usual” and “No Bid Contracts” are not acceptable. Every Sparta taxpayers’ dollars needs to be maximized. The elected and appointed officials that are entrusted to spend these dollars need to be held accountable to the taxpayers. Tough decisions need to be made while still obtaining measurable goals. My other priorities include, yet are not exclusive too, being THE Council Person that is responsive and that listens to the people of Sparta while working on their behalf. There is a demand for clear open communication to the people of Sparta. This has to be done in a respectful and professional manner. Trust needs to be built. What is your position regarding the proposed school expansion? The referendum has price tag of $71.5 million dollars. This is a hard decision that the voters of Sparta will make in September. As reported in the Star Ledger the anticipated increase in taxes for a home assessed at $300,000 will be $510 per year. This is a very large increase and with the history of the town voting these referendums down, it looks like we may be in the same place today come September. I would like to see something else besides a “take it or leave it” option with a high price tag. It is a fact that there is growth in the number of students in the town. In order to address this immediate issue a plan for the next ten years should be presented to the voters. The cost should be significantly lower and appropriate for the next ten years. This will meet the needs of the present and incoming students and will most likely win the approval of the burdened Sparta taxpayers. It would be better to plan on these five ten year phases than try to approve and build something that would meet the needs fifty years from now. The town would be able to review and adjust the plans every ten years instead of guessing what the next fifty years will bring to our great town.