Atlantic Highlands needs a new municipal building, which will cost between $3 and $5 million dollars. Mayor Fred Rast was quoted in the Asbury Park Press as saying the project is not subject to debate. Fred is a funny guy.
Highlands needs a municipal building and a library. Mayor Anna Little sent invitations for a library fund raiser out with the property tax bills that asked businesses to donate stale inventory and promotional products for a Chinese auction.
After years of conversation and expensive studies, Sea Bright is back to square one in its quest for a municipal complex.
These three neighboring towns comprise between 3 and 4 square miles. The population of the three totals about 12,000 people. Atlantic Highlands and Highlands already share a high school and are studying merging their elementary schools. Sea Bright spends $81,000 per student to send their kids to Shore Regional.
Anywhere else but New Jersey, these towns would be neighborhoods, not municipalities.
Would merging these three towns make sense? Would having one governing body, one set of professionals, one schools system, one police department and one sewer system to serve 4 square miles and 12,000 people make sense?
Maybe not if you consider that all three towns also border Middletown, the best run municipality in New Jersey.
Middletown's land mass would increase by 10% and its population by 17% if Atantic Highlands, Highlands and Sea Bright were folded into it. I don't know how Middletown's affordable housing obligations would be impacted if these towns were included, but it is worth study.
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4 comments:
Look at a map--they are sorrounded by middletown on all sides, they already use middeletown's sewer system. At least Atlantic Highlands and Highlands should really just be part of middletown. Few people realize that Sandy Hook is actually Middletown too.
wow i think one of pete cartons colon polyps is stuck to your nose!
Sea Bright spends $81,000 per student to send their kids to Shore Regional?
What would it cost per student to send them to Ranney?
Art-
You discussed this idea with Steve Lonegan. He got it right. You got it wrong. Before you fix something, you should make sure its broken, and then let the affected people decide. Many of the smaller towns and smalled school districts are the ones that work the mose successfully to educate students and keep costs down. many of the larger ones do the opposite. Size is not a solution to any problem.
-ethics count
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