What Would I Do to Turn Collingswood Finances Around?

A number of people have asked exactly what I would do to turn Collingswood’s finances around. That’s a fair question, and it is a difficult one.  The financial realities are not easy for any municipality right now. In addition, the historic lack of transparency from the current administration has made it difficult for any citizen to truly understand what is going on.  We don’t have the benefit of being on the “inside.” It will take some time to become acquainted with certain details, but as your representative my first priority will be to learn, ask the right questions, and make decisions that will serve the town’s best interests, not special interests.

There are a few specific things, though, that I’ve identified that we can implement right away. 

First, stop running excessive abatement and PILOT programs. We've had two in the space of only 9 months. It’s conceivable that a short-term PILOT could in certain situations be appropriate. But one of the recent PILOTS was for 25 years, the other was for “only” 10 years but on a project that was undertaken 15 years ago. These decisions deny an opportunity for tax relief, and shift tax burden onto other taxpayers. The latter point is not just my viewpoint; it was reported as a central conclusion in the New Jersey Office of the Comptroller’s analysis of PILOT programs in August 2010. 

Second, engage a qualified, outside, independent team with extensive experience in municipal finance to examine our financial position and render an objective analysis, complete with a multi-year workout plan. This goes beyond a mere audit. The goal is to develop avenues to devote more of our tax dollars to essential services, bring our debt expenditures in line, and restore our credit ratings – the key to future, cost-effective financing that all towns must do from time-to-time.  Yes, this will cost a little money, but the cost would be far less than the value of only a fraction of the abatements that were just given away. An objective outside look is an absolute priority, one that’s been sorely missing. Furthermore, this would be an open, competitive bid with broad solicitation, not a hand-out to favored entities or selection from an intentionally narrow pool of applicants. 

Third, I would aggressively pursue all avenues of cost containment, such as increased shared services. I will review with citizen and business community input what services should be retained in the present form and what could be modified to achieve cost savings. For example, Collingswood borders Haddon Township on multiple sides. While there are already some points of cooperation, there are still significant opportunities for further collaboration that could realize significant savings. When more than one-third of the municipal budget goes only to debt service and medical benefits, a proportion significantly higher than other local towns, the impact on town services is substantial.

Finally, I have an idea that transcends the financial issue but certainly includes it. Let’s form a Citizens Cabinet, composed of volunteers that would serve as a regular, formalized forum, bringing citizens’ ideas and concerns to the borough leadership. We have a lot of dynamic and smart people in Collingswood, and I want to tap their viewpoints and expertise. This regular opportunity for citizen input would inform the development of town priorities from the grassroots, rather than making citizens aware of decisions after they have essentially already been made.

I have no illusions. It took a long time to fall into this situation. No matter what, it will take time to get out. It can be done, and I can do it with your help.

Thank you for your time. I appreciate your support on May 14th.