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Posted: Fri, Jan 26 2007, 6:23 pm EST Post subject: Voters should get say on mergers |
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New proposal would keep final consolidation decision local
Local mayors say that any decisions on municipal mergers should be left to local voters, though they also suggest that consolidation is unlikely to provide the kind of tax savings that advocates suggest.
Mayors Tony LaMantia, of Jamesburg, Richard Pucci, of Monroe and David Stout, of Cranbury, say that legislation that passed the state Senate, which would create a nine-member panel to study consolidation and shared services, is better than earlier versions of the proposal because it leaves the final decision to local voters. But they all said it was doubtful that their communities would support merging with other neighboring towns.
Assembly members Linda Greenstein, a Democrat, and Bill Baroni, a Republican, both of whom represent Cranbury, Jamesburg and Monroe, plan to support the bill when it comes up for a vote in the Assembly — but only because it will allow local voters to decide.
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