To the Editor:
Mayor McLaughlin, did you forget your 4.68% tax increase? Apparently, Hopewell Township Mayor Kristin McLaughlin has a short memory.
In her zeal to run for re-election, her cheery letter to the editor forgot to mention some critical information regarding her claim of “fiscal responsibility.”
Maybe Mayor McLaughlin does not remember that, just six months ago, she raised municipal taxes by 4.68 percent. Not only was her tax increase about twice last year’s tax increase, it was more than twice the rate of inflation.
Maybe Mayor McLaughlin does not remember that, just six months ago, she put the Township in debt by borrowing $4.4 million to balance her budget. Her new debt was 25 percent higher than the $3.3 million she voted to borrow last year. In the past two years, she put the Township in debt for almost $8 million.
Maybe Mayor McLaughlin does not remember that, in each of her three years on the Township Committee, she voted for higher taxes than the year before.
Maybe Mayor McLaughlin does not remember that, in each of her three years on the Township Committee, she voted for new Township debt.
In other words, every year she voted to take out a loan to balance the Township budget.
Maybe Mayor McLaughlin does not remember that, during her three years on the Township Committee, she voted to spend $2 million from our emergency fund for non-emergencies while claiming $2 million in budget savings. Three years ago our emergency fund was about $12 million and is currently $10 million today.
Maybe Mayor McLaughlin does remember, but she is hoping that the public has a short memory.
Harvey Lester,
Titusville, NJ
