Mayor Talks Municipal Complex, Budget, Business Community

As we approach the end of our first quarter, I want to provide another update, given the number of key items council and our township manager see as priorities. Scott Carew is off to a great start, exerting some genuine leadership in helping us drive issue management and we’re optimistic much will be accomplished this year. We take our responsibility very seriously to address issues that impact residents of all ages, while managing our finances prudently. This is a very important balance that helps keep Moorestown such a special place to live, work and play—now and in the future.   

Budget, Economic Development and our Business Community: We continue to look for cost efficiencies that minimize any negative impact on services, while we put a revenue plan in place to assure we’re maximizing our opportunities on that side of the ledger. There are three revenue categories in our township budget: property taxes, surplus and miscellaneous revenues, which includes state aid. As many of you know, the opportunities for municipalities to raise revenue are tightly controlled by state regulations and leave us extremely limited in terms of what we can generate.

The term “ratables” refers to property that provides tax dollars to the township. When our commercial ratables escalate as a percentage of overall ratables, it eases the property tax burden on residential property owners. Over the next several years, our commercial ratable base will increase substantially. With Virtua’s new Health & Wellness Center, Lockheed Martin’s expansion, the new skilled nursing facility being planned for Marter and Main Street, Evergreens Phase 3, and other emerging projects, hundreds of new jobs will be coming to our town, which will enhance our residential housing market. There is not a single town in the Delaware Valley with such a good story to tell right now.

While Moorestown has low debt service relative to other towns of our size, our debt service will take a noticeable decline at the end of 2013. That is important, because it will offset funding for some of our current projects, such as the municipal complex and required recreation and road improvements. The debt service takes another drop at the end of 2018, so that also bodes well.

We continue our efforts to make Moorestown a business-friendly location and remain committed to addressing Main Street and our Camden Avenue commercial areas. We are mindful this effort is a process that will require working with stakeholders to identify priorities and establishing a plan that can be accomplished in phases. Our parking study for downtown has been completed and discussions will begin shortly on strategy and timing for that work. Completing the renovation of the municipal lot, across from the town hall lot, will be contemplated in conjunction with the town hall/library construction, and other parking improvements will likely be phased in over time.

Municipal Complex: We remain focused on breaking ground on the library/town hall complex by late summer. The current plans call for detailed construction drawings to be developed and out to bid by June. Assuming the bid results are acceptable, council will then determine its funding needs and, hopefully, approve the required amount at that time. Simultaneously, Scott is driving the analysis of a shared court, as well as implementing other organizational efficiencies by year's end. He is establishing a timeline for the court decision, which he will share with the public as soon as it is finalized. The police and court will remain together in our planned solution.

Recreation and Fields: With his extensive background in recreation elsewhere, Scott conducted his own independent analysis of what was needed with our fields. Following his analysis, bid documents were issued. The bids for that work were opened on March 6, with the low bids coming in approximately 20 percent below engineering estimates and more than $1,000,000 less than the plan he inherited. Council will be discussing bonding for these projects later in the month. The plan calls for the field work to be completed in a manner that limits downtime for seasonal sports activity. 

Upgrades to the rec center have been approved by council and will be handled as a separate project. The Recreation Department will move to the rec building once the renovations are completed, and the upgrades will assure the key needs of that building are addressed.

Utility: Since I have been on council, the issues of “brown” and “black” water have been discussed numerous times. Many water quality tests have been conducted and we have received continued assurances the water is of good quality and very safe for human consumption. Regardless, we know the color issues also have different underlying causes and must be addressed. The solution is not a quick fix, given the fact our underground infrastructure must be improved, but we will begin that work this year and set a plan in place to drive it to completion.

Given that this is an election year, some who read this will interpret it as more than it is. This is merely another update, consistent with our pledge to keep you informed of the facts. Hopefully, this is helpful! As always, I look forward to seeing you around town!

Mayor John Button
Moorestown