Council Approves $20M Spending Plan For Edison Township
EDISON, NJ – During the last Council meeting, Edison approved the $20 million capital improvement bond ordinance for the township.
The ordinance had failed to pass when it was first introduced. It was then brought back to the Council with updates that included replacing the community broadband system with funding for park improvements.
Councilmembers Joyce Ship-Freeman and Richard Brescher were the only two who voted against the bond ordinance. Meanwhile, residents questioned the Council about how much will it cost the taxpayers.
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“We don’t have a clue what this is going to cost us at the end of the day,” Brescher said. “At that point it will be brought up and we will have to vote on it again. But if anybody looked at the other bonds we have passed, you shouldn’t be mistaken or misled that if we’re gonna borrow $20 million bond, that we are only giving you $5 million of that. The truth is we’re going to be using $18 million of it.”
Brescher said he was siding with the public and voting ‘no’.
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However, Councilman Joe Coyle responded saying the bond was needed to make improvements across the township and take Edison forward.
Coyle said Edison was the fifth largest municipality in New Jersey and it was time the township “looked like it and act like it.”
“We are here to get things done. If nothing happens in six years, when is it time? Is it tomorrow or is it today? For me it’s today,” said Coyle.
“We haven’t had a DPW garage for 10 years. So, if you look at this list, I don’t think there’s a thing on this list someone has not complained about at this dais and this microphone. So, I’m in full support of it and I think it’s a great opportunity for us to move forward.”
The bond ordinance includes $430,000 for police vehicles and equipment; $1 million for the purchase of emergency management vehicles; $1.6 million for public works equipment and vehicles; $4.8 million for the construction of a new Roads Department garage; $265,000 for park improvements; $1 million for drainage and stormwater projects and $6.5 million for paving and resurfacing of various township roads.
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