To the Editor:
Pop quiz: Q. How does a school district need an $87 million building referendum? A. Good old-fashioned deferred maintenance by kicking the can down the road. Q. How does that school district expect to shove that mammoth school tax bill down the throats of taxpayers? A. Good old-fashioned voter suppression.
The facts are clear. The Hopewell Valley Regional School District Board of Education scheduled a special referendum vote for its $87 million building referendum on September 17, 2024. All voting costs money to conduct, such as for printing and poll workers. 2024 is a presidential election year. Traditionally, the highest voter turn-out occurs during presidential elections. By piggy-backing the referendum with the presidential election, the Board of Education could save taxpayer dollars and increase voter turnout. Unless, of course, the Board does not want a large turnout for the referendum. Then you go it alone a short seven weeks before the presidential election and waste taxpayer dollars, just like here. Apparently, the Board has plenty of money to spend to suppress voter turnout.
Of course, expect the Board to deny, deny, deny, and come up with one or more flimsy explanations for their failure to take advantage of the obvious. The Board is also engaging in “voting booth hide-and-seek” by limiting voting to one location: Pennington Fire House, 120 Broemel Place, Pennington.
Voters have to want to vote. I have no doubt that supporters of the referendum would move heaven and earth to vote. Inconvenienced voters usually do not show up to vote. In my view, the Board of Education is counting on that. Hopefully, angry inconvenienced voters will show up to vote “No” on the referendum and send a message to the Board by rejecting not only their referendum but also their cynical ploy.
(former Mayor) Harvey Lester,
Titusville, NJ
