COURT HOUSE – Mayor Chris Leusner continued a township tradition by delivering his annual State of the Township address to the Middle Township Chamber of Commerce. Leusner painted a picture of a growing township with expanded business opportunity and a more secure financial base.
Using a phrase popular with his predecessor, Tim Donohue, Leusner said a core belief for the township is a “well-run town will attract and retain well-run businesses.”
The mayor spoke of the township’s commitment to sound financial management with a stable tax base and expanding ratables. To that end, he announced that the ratables for Middle Township grew by $54 million this year, pushing the township to just under $3 billion in assessed property values. The final property equalization table from the county puts the true market value of the township’s property even higher, at nearly $4 billion.
Leusner promised a continued commitment to responsible business development, improved quality of life and an ongoing effort to manage the township in ways that promote savings and efficiency.
Pointing to the $5,411 average property tax bill for Middle residents, the mayor noted that the township receives only $1,409 of that total, or $3.86 per day per property owner, to pay for township services. The larger portion of the tax bill goes to a combination of school, county and fire district taxes that the township collects but does not keep. The school tax remains the largest portion of the total tax bill at 52%.
Leusner spoke of the steady growth in township population, from 18,911 in 2010 to a census estimate of 20,918 in 2023. This, he said, came during a period when the overall population of the county declined.
The mayor spoke of fiscal challenges facing the township, including the impact of inflation, rising state costs for pensions and health-care premiums, the recent spike in energy costs, rising solid waste and recycling expense, and lower state aid.
In response to these pressures, the township has privatized its EMS services, negotiated a better trash and recycling contract, moved dispatch services to the county program and placed a strong focus on cost control, he said. Just prior to the address, the township’s governing body met in special session to withdraw from the state’s employee health programs, joining other towns in the county that are seeking better rates through private sector contracts.
Efforts at what Leusner called responsible development were key parts of his presentation. He spoke of using the state redevelopment statutes, the push for new center designations from the state, and the benefit of the township’s affordable housing settlement.
A major deal with Ryan Homes could net the township close to $10 million for the sale of a large section of land under redevelopment along Indian Trail Road. Although the process could take two or more years to complete, a large residential complex along this stretch would also increase ratables for future budgets.
Leusner listed a number of new businesses that have opened shop in the township in 2024 as evidence of the municipality’s attractiveness to business investment. These include Old Navy, Auto Zone, Mavis Tire and Chipotle, among others.
The mayor also said that several business are on tap to open in 2025, including INSA cannabis shop, a new AtlantiCare complex of medical offices and Dink It Pickleball, to name a few.
The development of single-family homes in complexes across the township was highlighted in the address. Leusner said 110 single-family homes had been built in 2024.
In addition to the Ryan Homes project on Indian Trail Road, Leusner spoke of a planned town house and apartment complex in Rio Grande, along with two other potential town house projects in the Rio Grande area. He made a special point to remind the public that all housing projects will have affordable housing components, helping to meet the municipality’s state obligation and providing much needed affordable housing for working class families in the township.
Township water, sewer and road work projects were all included in the mayor’s address, along with open space projects. Enhanced recreation programming had its moment during a 50-slide presentation that can be viewed in its entirety here.
Following the mayor’s address, new Police Chief Tracey Super continued the tradition of remarks at this event on policing and public safety.
Tracey was promoted from captain to chief in July 2024. He assumed the position held by the mayor for 13 years.
His career with Middle Township began in 2006 as a patrolman. He steadily moved up in rank, and while doing so, as Leusner noted, spent time in every area of the department. Super holds a B.A. from Stockton and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He also completed the N.J. State Chiefs of Police Command and Leadership Program.
Tracey reaffirmed the Police Department’s commitment to community policing, citing enforcement as important but not the only focus of modern policing. He takes over at a difficult time, when recruitment of new officers is a growing challenge and when departments must implement the requirements of the state’s new police licensing law. To manage the many new requirements, Tracey said the department has established a Pro-Active Enforcement and Training Unit.
Proactive policing strategies and community outreach continue to be central to the department’s approach to policing, he said. The department also continues a data-driven approach to resource deployment.
The presentation was accompanied by the distribution of the 2024 Police Department annual report. That report was not yet available on the department website as of this writing but should be available soon here.
Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
