Outgoing committeeman is grateful for having had the opportunity to serve the residents of Jackson Township

Six years ago I pledged to change the way Jackson government conducted business. I am proud that during this time I, along with the support of some of my colleagues on the Township Committee, was able to accomplish a hefty part of a pretty ambitious agenda. In a few days I will complete my second term as a member of the Township Committee.

In the beginning of 2000 it took a bipartisan coalition of myself, Committeeman Mike Broderick and Republican Mayor Geoff Yalden to make some important changes with respect to Jackson’s government. Geoff’s courage in joining with us was a crucial part of getting our reform efforts off to a good start. In subsequent elections, as we built our reform majority, fulfilling our promises became much easier.

During these years we managed the municipal government portion of your property tax bill. Since I took office in 1999 neither I, Mike Broderick, Mike Kafton, Sean Giblin or former committeeman Marvin Krakower have voted for an annual municipal budget that increased municipal property taxes in Jackson.

When we said “no tax increase” we kept our word. We were able to slow the growth of residential development. By increasing minimum lot size to 3 acres we cut approximately 4,000 buildable lots from the zoning map. Just as important, we ended giveaways to developers. Various laws we adopted require developers to pay their fair share for infrastructure improvements, recreation facilities, street lighting and tree cutting permits.

We preserved thousands of acres of land throughout the township. For the first time in history Jackson is getting its fair share of Green Acres land preservation funding. On the recreation front, the skate park and roller rink I started working for in 1999 are now a reality. So are more fields, more programs and increased financial support for various youth athletic leagues. From the Mayor’s Golf Tournament we provided financial support to the PTA/PTO organizations.

Recently somebody asked me what I’ve learned in the last six years. I said I’ve learned a lot, but two things stand out. First, in 1998, I had no idea the attacks from political opponents could or would become so personal and often reveal such a total disregard for the truth. The political opposition in Jackson knows no bounds when it comes to attacking a person’s character, ideas and record. The biggest byproduct of this “pit bull” style of politics is that it scares away decent people who would otherwise get involved in trying to make things better.

The second lesson relates to the one nagging issue we haven’t solved. That’s the school tax reform scandal. I call it a scandal because it really is. It is just absurd that we beat up on school boards and educators for high property taxes. The real problem is the long-term indifference in the Legislature to this problem. If we just cut 10 percent or 15 percent from every school budget in the state, property taxes would still be too high and still comprise 45 to 60 percent of tax bills. The Township Committee can’t fix that.

The overhaul that’s needed will only happen when state legislators from both political parties stop ignoring us and properly fund education at the state level. We simply must insist that our legislators push the special interests aside and take the necessary action this year.

In closing, I am mindful that it takes the vote of a majority on the Township Committee to get anything done. Just as important, it takes the support of residents to get on the Township Committee in the first place. I thank you for that opportunity.

Joseph Grisanti

Jackson