Haddonfield Sun

By ROBERT LINNEHAN | The Haddonfield Sun
The new year will have many of the same challenges as 2009, Mayor Tish Colombi said, but the commissioners and employees of Haddonfield are looking forward to facing them head-on. Some exciting programs are also being crafted for 2010 and some new projects will be jump-started in the upcoming year.
The budget, like so many other municipalities in the state, is on the mind of everyone in the borough, Colombi said. Borough Administrator Sharon McCullough just submitted the township’s first budget draft to the commissioners, she said, and will continue to whittle away at expenses to get down to the best budget for Haddonfield taxpayers.
Colombi said every budget’s goal is for a zero-percent tax increase, but reaching that goal is difficult with rising mandatory costs.
“We’ll have to watch every dollar we spend. We’ve been on that path for a long time. It will take a while to hammer out what the tax rate will be,” she said. “We’d love to say there will be no increase, but I don’t know if that’s ever a possibility with the costs we consider. But, we’d love to keep it as low as we possibly can.”
One of the biggest issues facing Haddonfield in 2010 will be the negotiation of new contracts for the police department, Colombi said – the current contracts will expire at the end of 2010. McCullough has already begun the early negotiating process with union representatives, Colombi said, and it will be interesting to see what develops later on in the process.
The new police chief will also see his first year of service to the borough, Colombi said. Chief John Banning was recently sworn into the position several weeks ago.
“We’re also very excited for our new chief. He’s already in there working hard, and we feel the change in that department will be good for all of us in town. John Banning is a very quiet, strong leader. He has the experience and respect of the department,” she said. “We’re looking forward to a great sense of cooperation and leadership between the borough and the department. That was something that a few of us thought had been in decline.”
The issue of the library will also remain in the forefront for 2010, as new options are being investigated. Colombi said the possibility of the borough purchasing the sites that house the Houshiarnejad Collection: Imported Fine Oriental Rugs and Country Way Bridals on Kings Highway East is intriguing.
“Who knows if it will work out or if we can sell it to our residents? It’s too soon to tell. We couldn’t have a referendum vote until 2011 at the earliest, so we’d probably have to work it all out for a 2012 referendum,” she said. “I do think it’d be a good fit for our town. It’s a huge property.”
It’s very early in the process, she stressed, but if approved the borough would also likely buy the Leeds Technology property in back of the two storefronts. The structure would be torn down and the property would be developed into an additional parking lot.
Colombi also said another longtime issue in Haddonfield may see some movement in 2010. The decision on the Bancroft property may come to a close this year, she said.
“We can anticipate that something may happen at Bancroft,” she said. “We feel like we’ve done everything we can as commissioners. We even declared it a redevelopment area so we could have control if the need arises.”
The annual road program will continue in 2010, Colombi said, with about a $1 million investment into the borough’s infrastructure. Borough representatives scour state grant opportunities for funding to help bolster the program each year.
In early 2010 construction will begin on the complete reconstruction of Tanner Street, which the state is providing some funding for as well, Colombi said. The program was delayed numerous times in 2009, but should begin early this year. The road and its old infrastructure underneath the surface will be completely replaced and repaired.
Ellis Street will also receive extensive construction, with the vast majority of the costs being picked up by the state, Colombi said. The intersection of Potter Street and Ellis Street will be reconfigured and Ellis Street will receive some landscaping improvements as well.
The borough was also recently approved for a grant that will see reconstruction and some enhancements to Mechanic Street and Clement Street in 2010. Landscaping, road surface repair and the installation of some new lanterns will give the area almost a Kings Court type of feel, Colombi said.
Improvements to the athletic fields will also continue, she said, in coordination with the Haddonfield Board of Education. The borough and BOE have enjoyed a very strong relationship in the past few years, she said, and will continue to work together to help improve the lives of residents and students in Haddonfield.
“I don’t think there’s ever been a time in the history, at least since I’ve been elected, that the BOE and borough have ever worked as closely as they do now. We share employees and ideas, we do a lot,” Colombi said. “The two bodies control most of the buildings and land in the borough, so it’s an obligation that we work together.”
The New Year will see some exciting new developments, Colombi said, but residents can always expect the same services and reliable programs the borough supports each year.
All residents need to feel as if they’re getting great value out of their tax dollars year in and year out, she said.