Borough and Township Settle Debt, May Share Services

Dilshanie Perera

Council member David Goldfarb reported at last Tuesday’s Borough Council meeting that most of the debt owed to the Borough by the Township has been resolved.

The Finance Committees of both municipalities met recently, with the Township agreeing to pay $800,000 for unbilled capital projects, and to make another payment of over $200,000 for funds allocated for sewer use, according to Mr. Goldfarb.

“Less than $25,000 remains in dispute,” Mr. Goldfarb said, commending fellow Council member Roger Martindell for his persistence in bringing up the issue of debt at previous Council meetings.

Reasoning that most of the delay in payment had been caused by a lag in the Borough’s billing, Mr. Goldfarb said that he is “confident that [a similar situation] is not likely to occur in the foreseeable future.”

The Finance Committees also discussed sharing office space and staff, while maintaining municipal separation, in the Assessor’s office and Municipal Court.

Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi said that consolidating the offices is unlikely to achieve significant savings, though it would make accessing the departments easier for the public.

Reporting that the process is already underway, Mr. Bruschi said that he would submit a proposal for combining resources to the finance committees.

In other news, Police Lieutenant David Dudeck reported that measures have been taken to alleviate the traffic on Route 206 that has resulted from the Rosedale Road closure.

The green on the traffic light at Lover’s Lane has been extended to “help traffic get in to and out of town,” and the Police Department has dedicated officers to 206 for the morning and afternoon rush hours. Mercer County will also install large signs informing drivers of delays.

“The real test will come in September when the normal schedule is resumed at the schools,” Mayor Mildred Trotman acknowledged.

Borough Engineer Chris Budzinski said that despite delays due to inclement weather, the bridge construction is “approximately on schedule.”

Work began on the Rosedale Road bridge on July 6, and is scheduled to be completed in 135 calendar days, according to the Mercer County Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. The road is closed to through traffic at the bridge for the duration of the project.

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