Union County municipal merger driven by residents, not government

A proposed consolidation between Scotch Plains and Fanwood seeks to accomplish some of the same aims as an agreement reached in the Princetons, but has one noticeable difference: the Union County municipalities’ combination is driven by residents, not the towns.

A proposed consolidation between Scotch Plains and Fanwood seeks to accomplish some of the same aims as an agreement reached in the Princetons, but has one noticeable difference: the Union County municipalities’ combination is driven by residents, not the towns.

The merger between Princeton borough and township, to become effective in January 2013, was driven by the mayors, but this application was submitted by a grassroots group of residents without a municipal council’s approval, laying the groundwork for residents throughout the state to study consolidation as a method to improve municipal services and lower property taxes.

“If towns want to consolidate, the time is now,” said Gina Genovese, executive director of Courage to Connect New Jersey, a nonprofit that educates residents about consolidation. “There’s about 12 groups petitioning for it, and the 2 percent cap (on municipal budgets) is over, so the state can no longer say it’s not going to happen. The taxpayers now know they have the power.”

After Genovese made a presentation about consolidation benefits to Scotch Plains and Fanwood residents Oct. 19, 2010, they formed an organization to collect signatures and petition the state.

“Everything was aligned in (state) politics to make it happen,” said Fred Lange, of Scotch Plains, who spearheaded the formation of the group called Courage to Re-Connect. “(Jon) Corzine was in favor of it, (Chris) Christie is in favor and the Legislature passed laws in 2007 to make it easier.”

Under law, the group needed signatures from 10 percent of the Scotch Plains and Fanwood citizens who voted in the 2011 State Senate and General Assembly elections — which totaled 5,727 — to file a petition, Genovese said.

A study in October 2010 estimated Scotch Plains and Fanwood residents would save a total of $2 million in taxes by sharing municipal services like police and fire protection. But Lange said consolidation would save residents even more money by streamlining and increasing those services, and employing fewer people.

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood application, as well as the recent Princeton merger vote, will be discussed March 28 at Courage to Connect New Jersey’s statewide municipal consolidation workshop. There is no timetable on the consolidation application, which is now before the Department of Community Affairs.