Christie
talks about budget in Haddon Heights
•
COURIER-POST STAFF • MARCH 9, 2010
HADDON HEIGHTS -- Seven weeks after
he was sworn into office, Gov. Chris Christie
Speaking to local elected officials and municial leaders who gathered at the
Haddon Heights Cabin on Tuesday morning, Christie talked about New Jersey's $11
billion budget deficit
"This is going to be a budget that is unlike any budget you've seen in the
past 20 years," Christie said. Christie said he will give municipalities and school boards the tools to cut
spending and stave off tax hikes, but declined to say what those tools
were.
Haddon Heights Mayor Scott Alexander said residents there had an 8 percent tax
hike in 2007, the year before he took office, and a $500,000 budget gap. "My approach was to look at it like a business," Alexander
said. Alexander said he performed an "operational analysis... with an eye toward
cutting costs."
The borough has since restructured its public works department and lowered
taxes. "We got rid of extraordinary aid the first year we got in," Alexander
said. Haddon Heights has also invested in Project Garnet, which Alexander said could
generate $13 million in ratables.
As part of the project, the borough purchased two buildings at West Atlantic
Avenue and Lippincott Lane. One building will house the public works,
construction and zoning departments while the other will hold a community
center. The borough also refurbished the cabin, where Christie spoke, which residents
can rent for $25 per hour.
Most of the ratables would come from the eventual redevelopment of seven acres
surrounding the current public works department.
Haddon Heights is in Camden County and borders Barrington and Haddonfield.