Burlco study finds small towns sharing services
By Lavinia DeCASTRO
Courier-Post Staff

Most small towns in Burlington County already share services like courts, animal control and trash collection to save money, according to a study assessing the impact of Gov. Jon S. Corzine's proposed budget cuts on small towns.

Community Grants, Planning and Housing -- the Riverton firm the Burlington County Bridge Commission and county freeholders hired to perform the 30-day study -- focused on the 25 towns with a population under 10,000.

These towns were slated to lose half or all state aid this year under Corzine's plan. The governor has since modified his plan, restoring up to 20 percent of funding, but only if the money is used for tax relief. The idea behind the cuts is to urge small towns to enter into cost-saving shared services agreements with neighboring municipalities, but the study shows most of the towns already do that.

"They're (the cuts are) unwarranted," said Gary LaVenia, in charge of shared services for the bridge commission. "We're talking about some of the most efficient communities, these towns of under 10,000."
Besides sharing services, most communities also take advantage of services provided by the county, said David Gerkins, the CGPH consultant in charge of the study.

Gerkins said 24 of the 25 communities studied have an average per-capita spending of $874.50, less than most larger towns in New Jersey. The statewide average spending is $1,221 per capita, Gerkins said. Camden's per-capita spending is $1,800 and Newark spends $2,300 per resident, he added.
"To single out these communities to receive the brunt of these severe cuts is unfair," Gerkins said.

The study suggested several services municipalities could share to save a dollar.
Beverly, Delanco, Edgewater Park and Riverside, for instance, could share a tax collector, construction code officials, public works personnel and a police department. The same goes for Bordentown City and Bordentown Township.

But all of these initiatives take time to implement, which means taxpayers will likely feel the brunt of this year's cuts.
"I believe Palmyra has been at the forefront of the shared services initiative," said Palmyra Mayor John Gural, adding that Palmyra is considering a joint police department with Riverton and Cinnaminson. "This is not going to be an incentive. This is going to force us to raise taxes, because that's what it's doing."
Palmyra, which had to rescind its budget when Corzine announced the proposed cuts, stands to lose $236,329 in state aid. To make up for that, the borough would need to raise taxes by $74.18 for the average household, assessed at $97,600, according to the study.

That's mild compared to what some towns face.

Wrightstown, with only 741 residents, stands to lose $455,108 in state aid. To make up for that, the borough would need to raise taxes by $1,800 for the average property, assessed at $102,900. New Hanover would need a tax hike of $1,268 to make up for the $434,500 in lost state aid.
"It looks like Wrightstown is going to be hit the hardest," Mayor Thomas E. Harper said. "Why am I being punished for living in Wrightstown?"

Reach Lavinia DeCastro at (856) 486-2652 or ldecastro@courierpostonline.com