On November 5th, 2002, I was elected to the Township Committee to serve my 3rd term in office and subsequently, I was selected by my colleagues to serve as Mayor for the second consecutive year. The nation’s sagging economy, the War in Iraq and the threat of terrorism has made it a difficult year for most of us. The Township Committee and I recognize these difficult times and we have made well-informed decisions to address these times.

Our Office of Emergency Management, Police Department, Stirling & Millington Fire Departments have been working closely together to identify areas in which security measures and communications can be improved to ensure that the residents have the best possible protection. Recently, the Township received bids for a Reverse 911 Communication System. Once implemented, the system will enable notification of residents within an area of a potential hazardous weather condition, a missing child, or a threat to our safety. This system has gained popularity in the past months, however I am proud to say that the Police Department recognized the potential need for the system and the Township Committee took action. The system is expected to be in place this fall.

In addition, the Office of Emergency Management has identified areas in which communication with public safety personnel can be improved. While, the placement or relocation of sirens is not a popular decision it is one that will be explored. The Township is sensitive to the sounding of sirens and will ensure that parameters and guidelines are established and adhered to in order to minimize any inconvenience to neighborhoods.

While, we continue to improve the protection of our residents and advance our communication systems, we understand that we are in a very stressed economic environment. In March, we introduced our 2003 budget and requested that the employees maintain the same operating expenses at last year’s level. The Township has certain contractual obligations that it must meet and the rising costs of insurance continue to pose an obstacle. In order to meet our goals, we held a sale of the vacant Elm Street School earlier this year. We took advantage of lower interest rates to restructure debt and to continue to increase competition with our vendors. I am proud to say that the introduced budget for 2003 resulted in an increase of only one penny ($0.01) per hundred dollars of assessed value on the municipal portion. We’ve made some difficult decisions with our 2003 budget, but we made the right decisions for these difficult times.

Last year’s successful grant writing initiative will result in the construction of many of the road, building and playground projects that will begin this summer. In addition, the capital program includes improvements to the roads, little league field and public safety equipment. I expect some detouring and inconveniences during the projects; I ensure you that the improvement will be far greater than the short-term inconvenience.

This winter was one of the hardest on record. I want to thank the Public Works employees who vigorously worked around the clock to keep our streets clear, the public safety personnel who ensured the safety our residents, our Volunteer Services that responded regardless of weather, putting the health and safety of others above their own and the Town Hall employees who not only had the financial foresight to budget for this extreme winter but for continuing to conduct normal Township operations. And most importantly, I want to thank the residents who complied with the State of Emergency Declaration, by staying home and took a step further to dig out hydrants, clear crosswalk openings, shovel their sidewalks and their neighbors and cleared catch basins to prevent flooding. Your actions truly epitomized what Long Hill Township is all about. Thank you.

I hope to see you at the Memorial Day Parade on May 26th.