I missed that quote from Councilman Powers, “This council has no appetite for the Draconian cuts that would be required [in place of the tax increase]." That's your job, Big Guy, to make the hard choices. If you aren't up to the task of making hard choices, I suggest that you don't run for reelection.

Apparently former Mayor Powers and his fellow council members would rather rubber stamp a 5.2% across the board increase for the Municipal Manager and his 196 other fellow Municipal employees. Appropriations for Wages and Salary are increasing in the 2012 budget over 2011 by $690,488. That averages $3,504 PER Municipal Employee.

We either Vote "Yes" next Tuesday for their pay raises or they stop collecting our Garbage. That's Mr Krawczun's proposal. That's what this referendum is about. And that's what OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS consider "not dismantling the Township."

You gave us no other choice, Mr. Powers!

Why is the police department so sacred that they can't "touch" it?? Lawrence will be just fine with a few less cops. Unless someone can prove that more cops = less crime, burglaries, etc... We have 60+ cops, but the break-in are still happening.

Since no body of authority will commend on the police staffing I will. First of all these comments about Lawrence not needing 60+ cops is a perception reached from the outside. Operationally the department is running at a minimum staffing established by a very well respected and established consulting firm during the 2010/2011 police staffing study completed by Matrix Consulting. That study is still posted on the township website for review. The police department has been cut by 7 officers from the peak staffing level of 72 to 65. There have also been staffing cuts from the top including a Lieutenat position, Sergeant position and Captain position. The officers agreed voluntairly to a zero percent pay increase in 2010 and pay increases well below the state average for the following two years. The officers volunteered to pay the 1.5 towards medical premium before it was law. If the officers held out for arbitration there would have been a good chance of higher raises along with the thousands in legal fees for the process billed to the taxpayers.

Just because there is not layoffs does not mean that the police department has not already been stripped to bare bones due to the economic climate. Lawrence township is fortunate to have a fair police union who truly does think of the residents and has a record of being very fair in pay raises and lost positions. Not to many police unions would have stood by silently while positions were being cut out the rank system.

So grill master. I am not sure that you and Council are looking at the police department staffing through the same set of lenses. Council realizes the difference in what is a realistic staffing level and what sounds good to the tax payers ear. Councilman Puliti has told the community that police layoffs would not be in the best interest of the community. He makes this comment with firsthand knowledge of police operatons and understanding the complete picture.

It is important to make an educated vote on April 17th.

VOTE NO OR YOU WILL BE VERY SORRY .......Dont believe me go to Brick Patch, its like Groundhog Day ......Same exact BS, Lies, Scare tactics........the same exact MO that Brick Council used, they must have sghred the same playbook

the Brick taxpayers voted for a 24% INCREASE and yet here we are one year later and the threat of losing DPW is now on the table and looks like its going to happen

VOTE NO.......Why punish yourself with higher taxes when its the guy with the highest salary in town problem (or why are you paying him all that money ???)

I noticed that the Lawrenceville School was advertising golf memberships to the public... hmmm seems like THAT could be taxed. and how do we tax the buildings they own off campus on Main St.... How many grants did they not go after.... The anger is based on not giving us the choice and treating us like ignorant subjects.
and I'm very liberal, but frankly, I'd rather have to bundle up my leaves and brush then pay out the nose.... The tax rate on my house has risen over 100% in ten years.

There are bigger issues out there like Christie stealing from every fund he can to keep his no tax increase pledge, and yes that is very germane here. You restore funding that is due to the township there is no increase at all. And frankly, that is NJ politics, rob Peter to pay Paul, and of course the ones that pays.

So I put a ton of this on our council for not really giving the people a choice, but the bigger issue is how we are taxed and how services are provided in this state.

Christie, just like Corzine, just like McGreevy, just like Whitman, has played musical chairs with funds to look good to voters. The referendum I wanna se state wide is a change to our state constitution where as any dollar being shifted from one revevue stream to an other needs a up or down vote by the people. It will stop the political money shift that screws every one of us.