Mayoral Address Cites Middle’s Progress

COURT HOUSE – The Middle Township Chamber of Commerce hosted Mayor Timothy Donohue Feb. 26 for the mayor’s annual State of the Township Address.
Considering that his audience was comprised of local business owners, Donohue said: “A well-run town will attract and retain well-run businesses.” 
It was a theme Donohue would follow throughout his talk at the Bellevue Tavern, how the township strives to facilitate business development while maintaining a focus on residents’ quality of life.
Financial Management
Donohue started with the township’s commitment to sound financial management, a stable tax rate and expansion of the ratable base.
He began with the challenge of delivering quality services to 20% of the county’s population spread over 72 square miles, with a ratable base that is only 6% of the county total. 
He noted that the township’s average property value is $250,700.
Running through the math, Donohue said that the average taxpayer pays about $3 per day to the township coffers, and in return, receives a variety of services from public safety to leaf collection, from recreational programs to an expanding number of public parks and from road maintenance to construction oversight.
Donohue reiterated the governing body’s commitment to a stable tax rate, stating that it is their task to spend the taxpayers’ money “wisely and reluctantly.”
Pointing to steady growth in ratables, Donohue also highlighted year-to-year increases in the township’s current fund surplus, which stands at $2.6 million.
Quality of Life
Fiscal responsibility needs to be paired with a dedication to the continuous advancement of the municipality’s quality of life. In assessing quality-of-life improvements, Donohue turned first to one of the most basic of government functions – security.
Lauding the efforts of the police department, Donohue reflected on the changes over the last several years.
“Just a few years ago, our police department was understaffed and forced to react to crime, rather than proactively prevent it,” he said.
For Donohue, the commitment the township made to expanding police department resources has paid off in significantly reduced crime rates without which quality of life improvements are hard to achieve.
Donohue cited a 32% drop in the local crime rate, drawing attention as he did so to the community policing model that strives to place an emphasis on service as well as safety. 
Capital Projects
Donohue listed a series of capital programs that have improved residents’ quality of life.
He spoke of the Del Haven project to bring potable water to over 1,000 homes that were experiencing well failures due to saltwater intrusion.
He pointed to the completion of the Grassy Sound sewer project that protected home values, resolved potential public health issues and even encouraged new business investment. 
As a sign of that new development, Donohue noted the recent sale of the sixth plenary consumption liquor license that will result in a waterfront dining venue opening this summer in Grassy Sound.
Addressing the recent action by the Township Committee to raise sewer rates, Donohue walked his audience through the challenges of an aging sewer system, the first parts of which were built in 1937. He noted that the township needed to invest in infrastructure revitalization and pointed to a recent study of the sewer system that has led to a project for improvements at many pump stations.
Citing unsustainable increases in county MUA charges, Donohue said the township had no choice but to deal with the problems of stormwater infiltration of the wastewater system. 
The issue helped Donohue illustrate the times when it is necessary, however, reluctantly, to raise fees or taxes as a function of longer-term fiscal responsibility.
Open Space Projects
Donohue moved on the recreation and open space projects, including the fishing pier in Avalon Manor, Rio Grande’s bike path off Railroad Avenue, improvements in the facilities at the Martin Luther King Community and Recreation Center, Whitesboro, and the growing number of township special events.
Economic Development
With an audience of business owners, Donohue turned his attention to economic development, speaking first about the master plan reexamination that is nearing completion.
Donohue said that the master plan process would highlight areas of the township where zoning alterations could spur development, using as an example the proposal by one developer to construct a 102-room Hilton Hampton Inn across the Garden State Parkway from the Cape Regional Medical Center Surgery Center.
County Commons
Donohue turned a spotlight on the township’s involvement with the development of the County Commons, in Rio Grande, a redevelopment of the former Kmart shopping center, which will house public service agencies, retail stores and an entertainment complex.
Listing businesses coming to or just opening in the township, Donohue flashed a photo of the recent ribbon cutting at the new Gordmans department store, in Rio Grande.
Little of what Donohue presented in his list of new developments was unknown to the audience, but the aggregation of the various projects in slide after slide of the presentation gave a sense of the township as an increasingly vibrant community, a place on the move.
Harvest Festival
When Donohue turned his attention to the Harvest Festival, he offered a caution that the township, for all of its activity, must not lose its local identity. He spoke of a new advisory committee that will be reviewing festival guidelines and policies to keep the event focused on the township’s local identity, businesses, and products.
Policing
Police Chief Christopher Leusner followed Donohue to the podium for a brief overview of public safety issues. He cited statistics on:
Lower crime rate
The police department’s community outreach programs
The growing use of the Rio Grande substation by the public.
Leusner called attention to the department’s 2019 annual report, which is available on the township and Herald’s websites.
Speaking of his emphasis on a data-driven approach to policing, Leusner showed how that led to greater resource concentration in Rio Grande.  
Using 2012 as a baseline year, Leusner noted that the department recorded 307 offenses in Rio Grande that year, compared to 122 in 2019, a decrease of over 60%.
Proud of efforts to reduce the experience of crime in the township, Leusner cited sustaining success through community policing, especially efforts to work with youth. He gave special praise to the summer youth camp program.  
Leusner noted that some efforts at youth engagement are surprisingly successful, referencing the Police Officer Trading Card Program offering prize bags to young people who met and obtain a card from 15 officers.  
“We had kids chasing officers down the street,” Leusner joked.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.