If the police are willing to give back sick, vacation and personal time in lieu of a buyout this should be explored. This police chief and deputy chief should also be asked to retire. This will not only save money but also save a couple positions in the ranks below them. Let's not forget the captains pay that the town is also saving. Get rid of the court attendant and let the police department provide court room security. There is a clerk retiring in the Police department who doesn't need to be replaced and two dispatcher positions that are open. That's a lot of money

The deputy OEM Coordinator. Besides driving around all day in a TAKE HOME township vehicle he does nothing for the township That was a Political Position To give one of Councilman Greg Puliti's Buddy that got appointed to the position. That big gas guzzler could be traded in on two ford escapes. What does he really do in that job. Nothing. Nothing at all Just a waste of our Tax Dollars so i could get one of the boys hired. Good job Greg you ready to hire another buddy soon.

Stop the monthly brush collection. It's got too be an expensive service to run that equipment every day and all year long. I think once or twice a year would be appropriate. Can they put a price tag on this service? It's a luxury! The constant piles are an eyesore, if you can't deal with it yourself, hire someone. Salaries+equipment+feul+more fuel+maintainence on equipment=an expense we can live without!

I just looked in the bottom of my giant township provided garbage can. There was one little bag of trash down there! I want to shop for my own trash company, hopefully I can get a smaller can too.

All of the above responses!!! There is government waste EVERYWHERE !!! I live on a budget, Lawrence Twp. needs to start learning how to live on a budget as do ALL MUNICIPALITIES !!! Start by combining services with other townships. Cut a little here, a little there and I bet you'd find out that YOU can still afford to provide Lawrence Twp. with trash collection. The tax payers have had enough of you wasting our money.

The police are the True Garbage Men in your town. Get rid of them and trust me the Trash will start to build up, and its not the kind that goes in your big blue bucket. Eliminate positions in the department that aren't needed. Start at the top. Also the town does not need animal control officers. Especially since the police handle all of the animal calls anyway. The county can take over that position. Take a hard look at the Deputy Chief position in the Police Department. Tell me why we need it and why he is paid a 5% raise when the Chief is on vacation. A total waste of money. Eliminate the position and the take home to Burlington Twp. vehicle that we pay taxes for. End this madness.

Outraged is right. L'Ville police work hard and are *not* overpaid. Their ranks have already been cut, and the results in our community will not be good if we eviscerate the department any further. The cuts are in the administrative fat and nepotism as described further above.

A la carte garbage collection is a remotely good idea. Your neighbor decides to 'opt out' of collection or doesn't pay their bill - and voila, you've got a public health hazard on your hands. I am not interested in increasing the vermin population, thanks very much. The cuts can be found other ways, the garbage collection has become a distraction from the real issue here. (and I'm no wingnut Tea Partier!)

(I meant to say 'isn't a remotely good idea')

Let's take a good hard look at those that don't pay taxes, at least not their fair share, such as The Lawrenceville Prep School. They have a lot of houses on those grounds for their employees and they don't pay taxes on those houses and the people in those houses send their children to our public schools. Do they pay school taxes, or do they pay tutition for those children going to our public schools. Let's also look at Rider University, do they pay taxes on that big house the president lives in and the one that the Dean of Students lives in and the house that houses the campus ministry. If everyone is suppose to pay their fair share then lets get these two insitutions to pay up a little more. Why is it always the residents have to pay for the big dogs who go their merry way and say a few thousand a year is good. NOT

Yes yes yes trenton police cut 100 officers from their ranks. Has anyone seen the increased crime in trenton do to laid off officers? Lets not be stupid and make knee jerk decisions that will be short term gain and long term loss. I dont care about administrators but i do care about. the men and women on the streets of Lawrenceville protecting us. Sandwiched between Trenton amd Ewing Lawrence has been doing a great job keeping the crime down. Even with that a 24% increase in crime was reported.

In a previous post I offered that volunteers should look at each budget line item. At this point I believe it would be best. Impartial eyes, with no attachments to anything or anyone, are needed. It's obvious that there is a shortage of revenue, and confidence. Compromise is the first step: Citizen volunteers who do not hold public office.

Oh here we go, all the cost cutters and government waste crowd coming out of the woodwork. Lets just hope the intelligent people in this town make the right calls on this god help us.

I think the important issue that is being overlooked is the fact that only TWO towns in the state of NJ had to propose a tax increase. Poor budget management. Open the books boys and girls.

I think Richy Rich needs to start making cuts in his own office, maybe take a pay cut or at least a pay freeze. How he and the other Directors and Managers can take raises while rank and file employees are facing potential lay-offs is a disgrace!

It should be noted that our trash collection is adequate, but not posh by any standards. I grew up in a different area where trash was collected 3x/wk and recycling was collected 1x/wk. What we have in Lawrenceville is the absolute minimum level of service. I think this town can and should continue to be responsible for trash service. It is cheaper and more efficient this way, and there is no risk of garbage piling up at homes that can't or won't pay the user fee. (Even if you make the fee mandatory, that will happen. Private companies don't provide service without payment. Period.)

We need 2 million dollars to balance the budget. We already share services and equipment with other towns. I wish I knew where all this money is going. Maybe the feds should come in and do an investigation like in Hamilton.
There was talks about selling the ecological center property to britton. let's look into doing that. sell the paving equipment and other equipment that the township does not use.

We should take a hard look at possibly offering a buyout to people in the township close to retirement. This might save a few positions. But the bottom line is we need to layoff people in all departments. We are spending entirely too much for we are taking in.

There are vacant properties all over the county especially in Lawrence. DO WE HAVE A MASTER PLAN IN LURING BUSINESSES BACK INTO THE TOWNSHIP INSTEAD OF CHASING THEM OUT. WE LOST THE HOSPITAL WHICH WOULD HAVE BROUGHT MORE DOCTORS AND OFFICES BACK IN THE AREA OF PRINCETON PIKE. THIS ALSO WOULD HAVE BROUGHT MONEY TO SMALL BUSINESS BY EATING SHOPPING ETC. THE MANAGER AND COUNCIL NEEDS TO THINK THINK, THINK THE NEXT TIME AN OFFER COMES UP.

THE TOWNSHIP SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE TRASH SERVICE. WE PAY IT OUR TAXES ANYWAY. STOP GOUGING THE RESIDENTS FOR MORE MONEY MONEY MONEY. STOP SPENDING SPENDING SPENDING. OUR SALARIES ARE NOT GOING AS MUCH YOUR TAX INCREASES. THINK ABOUT IT.

Crime is up and we are talking a possible lay off Police. Thats like smacking a hornet's nest with your bare hand. Making Lawrence a better place is our Goal. A higher crime rate is not going to bring in business and home buyers.

Everyone wants the immediate solution to this problem. Guess what? There isn't one. This will take time and smart thinking. Knee Jerk reactions will cost you more money down the line.

You're trying to patch a hole in the center of a dam where a small amount of water is leaking, while neglecting to realize that the dam itself was built on a faulty foundation and it is the contractors who are at fault. Basically I'm saying that a Beaver could do a better job than our township manager...Dam it!

Start cutting from the TOP .......very simple

I agree w/funzaloo. Cool name, by the way. And, briefly, if anyone recalls, Pulitis platform for office this go around was to create our own garbagecollection service. So, I think we will end up paying the township either way. Strange, wouldnt you say how that became our only alternative?

simple. Find cuts, continue township trash collection. We haven't had araise in4 yerS and will contribute upto 35% of helThcare costs as employees. All government agnencies are doing it and so should the township. Find ways to make it work. The
Ayor is du for a 5% raise? Not acceptable. Everyone is sacrificing why notthe township payrolls?

We need 2.2 million cut.
1. Cut local 911 services. We spend close to half a million on 911, Consolidate with Mercer Co, savings would be say 250,000
2. we spend 3/4 of a million on emergency services. Outsource these to local hospitals, and sell them off as usage rights. As in if you want to provide ambulance services in this township, you need to pay a yearly fee. Even if we keep a small local fund to pay for those unable to pay, we could save $400,000
3. We keep over $4.2 million in reserve for uncollected taxes. Half that, and pay a law firm as much as $250k to collect these taxes, savings 1.7 million.
4. debt. We carry year to year 3.9 million in debt. Try and renegotiate these loans. ... I have to guess here, but I would figure 5% savings saving 195,000
5. Revenue forecasts. last year revenue besides property taxes was forecast at $7million, the actual number was close to $7.6 in this years budget it is forecast at 7.7, which keeps numbers flat from the red light camera. We all know that camera is bringing in more then last year. This extra income should be applied to the 2.6 needed surplus.

That's 2.5 million is guesstimated saving after looking over the budget. Some will take longer to reap rewards to the township, others may not even be able to happen because of contracts... but that's my stab at it.

The township could start saving money by eliminating the leaf and branch pickup.

This would immediately save on gas and equipment costs and could later save on saleries thru attrition.

Many residents don't obey the rules anyway and regularly throw debris in the gutter immediately after it has been cleaned up and it stays there for another month, making our town look like the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Visitors to our town have said that the debris always lying around makes our township look seedy.

Residents who have debris can take it to the recycling center or pay someone to do it for them.

I respect all the comments on this blog because it shows that the people of Lawrence Township care about their community to brainstorm how to save money. My biggest question is this. Why didn't the town council and township manager have the foresight to see this budget crisis over the last few years? I place the blame on them solely for this. They have control over the budget year after year and they didn't see this coming. No one will ever tell me that the rateables and tax appeals are the sole cause of this problem. I am a retired employee of Lawrence Township and I hate that people are placing the blame on the employees of the town. How in the world did the town ever afford the 4.0 % raises for all those years with all the unions and still have a surplus of 6.5 to 9.5 million? It was the proper planning by the town manager and council. This no longer happens. Even with the employees taking a 0 % increase in 2010 (which ultimately made me retire) and them paying for healthcare, the town is still broke? Every year for the next five years, the town will receive higher and higher compensation from the employees for healthcare. So please don't solely balance this budget on the layoff of 30 something employees. They are not the problem. Let me reiterate this. It is terrible foresight by the Town Council and Township Manager. Could this be why Pam Mount left the council? She didn't want to be associated with this? Glad I retired and looking to buy down south. That's affordable.

OK chief so what your saying is if you are a public employee you are the problem . Then I guess you mean there should be no public employees or are you just a little jealous of public employees

This town is such a business unfriendly town. CVS by the library wanted to be open 24 hours Lawrence township said no. It would have been so nice if at 2:00 am i could get a prescription filled for a sick child after a trip to the ER. Guess Hamilton Township will get the revenue. QUICK check and WAWA want to be open 24/7 nope guess Trenton and Hamilton will get that revenue. don't put more then one balloon on a sign or cover up windows with signage no no no. Oh i know how we can make up revenue All three Volunteer Fire Companies pay us for the fuel that you use to protect the town. Do the police or EMS pay for there fuel cost NOPE. lets see I know will let the township Mechanics fix all the Fire Truck brake then worse and then send them out to a qualified repair shop so we have to pay twice for the repair. while we are talking lets compair the North side of the town to the south side of the town. Parks in the north side are in super shape pristine shape all the paths are smooth equipment is modern and maintained and have restrooms. The South side parks look like they were abandon Colonial Lake park I hope one day i am walking on the path and i trip I will be set for life. The Paths look like a topographical map. Why does this park not have a bathroom They have not been touched for 15 years. You ask why because Lawrence Township DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE SOUTH SIDE OF LAWRENCE!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER HAD NEVER WILL!!!!! If they could give it up to Trenton they would.

Lawrence needs to make cuts but, also needs to be creative and, start collecting more revenue. Just like at home when times are bad you look for a second job or part time job. The answer to debt is to bring in more revenue not raise taxes from hard working residents. There are ways to do this, become more business friendly and, offer incentives to businesses to open here in Lawrence. Maybe lower taxes for one year, start a rent cap for businessess. Lots of businessess left Lawrence because the landlords skyrocketed their rents so suddenly. It's almost like the landlord wants to be a partner in their tenents business. Another way to collect revenue is through traffic tickets. Let's face it, we all live in a neighborhood where we see drivers ignoring stop signs, etc....daily. What happened to the days when police would park behind the bush then pull you over for racing throught a stop sign or speeding? Cameras are nice but, the township employees are whinning about too much they have to put into reading complaints. Give me a break, you might have to work like the rest of us in the real world. When our boss gives us more work we just do it because if we complain we get fired ! So much revenue could be generated by traffic tickets and, the township roads would be safer.

The majority of the current police force are so disgruntled and lazy. Every time I talk to the cops I know they do nothing but complain about how bad they have it. The cops used to pull people over for speeding and running a sign like Richard said but now they seem to care less. The cops that didn't grow up in Lawrence or moved out have no care for the town. They are here for a check. Since our kids are a reflection of us shouldn't the cops be a reflection of the manager? Take the good cops and let them get our force working again. This is probably one of the best ways to generate revenue.

You want more tickets. Hire more cops. If not don't complain. The police in this town no longer have time to write tickets. Take a look at the Crime Stats and Calls For Service in the last 5 years. As a civilian you can write tickets to those people, so you can go sit behind a bush and do it. Let the police handle the crime. Ignorance is only bliss when you don't spread it. Cops put their lives on the line every day and are under constant stress. Yes thats what they sign up and if you ask me the majority of the police in Lawrence do a good job. If your house was broken into you'd complain that the cops didn't see it. If the town needs money you want them writing more tickets. It is a loose loose for the police. How bout just letting them do their job. Your ignorance is insulting to anyone who has ever lost a loved one who was a police officer, especially if they lost their life on a car stop. Would that officer's life be worth it for your taxes. If you don't know the facts do not post your ignorance. Because people like Sammy buy into it and spread more ignorance. I hate to be emotional but this goes on far to often and being a relative of a police officer in This town I know what they go through and deal with. You "talking to a cop" and thinking you know how they ALL are is ignorance

Richard is one of the few people on this site who hits at the heart of the matter: you can't cut your way to prosperity. The town needs to get more creative about luring and keeping business. Trails, sustainability and "being green" - which seem to be a priority in this town - are well and good, but don't pay the bills.

The worst thing we could do now is cut into muscle just for the sake of cutting, while ignoring the stagnant revenue base. The entire conversation over this tax hike/vote has centered on cuts. How about a new attitude - promoting the solid schools, talking up what the town has to offer and enticing business instead of being hostile towards it.

Meantime, I'll say it one last time: issuing speeding tickets on Princeton Pike would be a legitimate and substantial source of revenue, and one that could be implemented today.

Cut some if not all of the rec programs. While they may be nice, they are a luxury at this point, not a necessity.

Stop declining revenue sources. The day care application was denied in favor of maybe hoping that a church will take the space instead. Day cares are taxable, churches are not. Now you have an empty building where you could've had a tax ratable.

Cut pregrams and hours at the Senior Center. Another "nice to have", not a "Need to have". Seniors keep crying they are on a fixed income and can't afford their taxes. Guess what, I'm salaried, as is my husband, and we haven't gotten raises for 2 years. We're on a fixed income and can't afford the taxes either.

When your budget is a bloated house of cards, trembling under its own weight, you can neither fix it by piling more cards on top (taxes), nor by removing cards from the bottom (cuts).

Both of those "solutions" are mock-worthy.. You can only juggle chainsaws until you can't anymore..

You definitely want to keep trash collection through the Township. Plainsboro homeowners must contract privately for trash pickup. Last I checked Midco charges $155 per quarter for twice weekly pickup, and I know they are constantly raising their rates.

i like KK on the job comment!
DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE SOUTH SIDE OF LAWRENCE!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER HAD NEVER WILL!!!!! If they could give it up to Trenton they would.

The town needs to be more business friendly. The planning board is constantly shooting down proposal let business grow. Writing more tickets sounds like a good way to bring in more revenue and you do not have to hire more police officers to do it . Just look at the way the police are run you see pictures in patch of 5 police cars and 10 cops twiddling their thumbs investigating a store break in. I am tired of hearing of police officers risking their life every day give me a break maybe in New York or Philly even Trenton but Lawrence get real. As far as South and North Lawrence they all have the same mentality of not in my back yard north just has a little more pull

lots of good ideas. Bigger problem is school budget which is where most of the property tax money goes - 1 example- Why did they need to split the intermediate school into an upper and lower school with 2 principles? Those administrator salaries are a killer !!!

"We did come in at about a half-million dollars below cap [in the rejected budget]. And there’s actually a limit to how low we can go,” Waters said. “We would be in violation of state law if we cut too much.

Lawrence BOE president L. Waters

What State laws are these and who makes them?

Very simple. You want to keep your police colleagues employed? Start writing tickets to bring in the money to pay for them.

I live and work in Lawrenceville. This morning I finally saw what has been needed in this township for a very long time. I saw 5 police cars sitting on Princeton Pike waiting for people speeding and 2 of them had people pulled over! This needs to be done on a more consistent basis. I also walk my dog up + down Princeton Pike and I can tell you first hand, that I see people doing 40 - 50 MPH on a regular basis; it doesn't just happen in the morning. Post more officers on Princeton Pike write more tickets and we won't have to worry about laying anyone off! Sammy is right, its very simple!

This is great but, while the police are on Princeton Pike writing tickets, don't complain when your house gets broken into because the police in this town are "Lazy." You can't have your cake...and tickets too.

the funny thing is you are rejecting a tax and another tax for a nuisance tax. New York City under Bloomberg started toe taxes by ticketing, and it hasn't really worked out. Once you open the door to not coming to a complete stop coming out of your neighborhood, the next is bikes riding on sidewalks, police driving through parking lots looking for expired inspection, etc etc.
Its a tax. and its the sort of tax you don't plan for, and its not always the bad drivers. Its the mom distracted and going 35 in a 25 as her kids scream in the back after a long day at work, its the dad in a rush to pick up the kids.
Not to mention much of the cost of a ticket in't profit to the township, even if they clear $40 a ticket, thats 55,000 tickets needed to get the cash needed. or 150 a day. and you want people to come shop here....
if there is a safety issue with a road, report it, but don't think making trained police officers traffic cops is the answer either. and when you get that ticket for failing to make a complet stop when turning onto 206 and your car insurance goes up... thank the friendly voters of LT.

Looking at this whole thing from an outsiders point of view, I think the town and some of its people have this thing upside down! If I'm reading correctly, you want to cut the recreation department totally out and lay off police officers among other things. From past experience, wouldn't you think not providing programs for young people would keep those same young families from moving to town? If you cut police officers, don't you think that crime will go up (as it currently) according to the crime statistics that I am looking at? Schools and safety/security are the reason why most people move to a town. If you have neither good schools or a high crime rate wouldn't that keep quality people from moving to the town and the crime rate to futher increase? Why not make cuts to the senior citizen programs instead? I'd venture to say that the young families far outweigh the senior population. Also, when looking at a study done of the police department, it seems to me that the department in terms of numbers is pretty much on. If you go below what was recommended than you are surely going to negatively effect the crime rate. The only thing I see from that study is that it appears that the police department might be top heavy....From what I have read the Chief has enough years to retire....I would say that if he has any humility what so every he would do just that to save a few young officers and keep them on the road. Demote the Deputy to a Lieutentant and hire a director!

Unfortunately,layoffs are inevitable! Try to keep them to a minimum! Remember, those young officers that are going to be layed off are the future of that department. In an open council meeting several years ago, I heard the Chief speak about retirements. Something to the affect that several officers will be retiring in a very short period of time. If you cut things to the bare bones then what will happen when all of these officers retire. From what I understand, it takes approximately one year to hire and train a new officer. Does the town have a contingency plan for when there is a mass retirement within the ranks of the LPD? These are just some things to think about? Please don't cancel all of the kids programs in town and lower the ranks of a necessary service such as the police. Other towns around Lawrence have gone through a demographic influx for the worse over the last several years. Lets not let Lawrenceville be the same way! Once crime and disorder have set itself in a location, it's almost impossible to get rid of it! The bottom line, bad schools, no recreations programs for kids and a high crime rate leads to lower property values and less taxes being collected which in turn means more of a finacial crisis down the road!!

No one is saying to try to balance the budget with writhing tickets and it a police officers job to ticket offenders. What do you want them to do just ride around all day and hope they come across a crime being committed. Cuts should be spread around no sense making deep cuts in any single department

Larry do yourself and everyone a favor and stop posting. You only make yourself look unintelligent.

FYI, a Mayberry (Lawrence) store (CVS) was robbed today. So just one more to add to the list I posted above.

It should be no sense not no nonsense.

Larry...actually you are the one without sense based on some of your comments. One, for assuming that Lawrence Twp. is Mayberry really reveals your ignorance and isolation to the realities of policing in this township and anywhere for that matter. If you don't think guns, drugs and criminals of all sorts pass through this town on a daily basis being that we (1) border Trenton and (2) being that Route 1 and 95 are two major arteries that cut through Lawrence which connect the cesspools of NYC and Philadelphia, you are surely simple-minded. And I'm not placing all blame on you for your ignorance, but don't speak with command when you are uneducated as to the topic at hand...unfortunately many here fall in line with you.

Oh, and where did you observe 5 cars and 10 cops twiddling their thumbs. There should have been more than 5 cars being that these guys ride one cop per car...5 cars/cops possibly and justified depending on the specific nature of the call, which I guarantee you know nothing of...Should there be only 2 cops responding to your house when there is a burglary in progress or within the past few minutes of the call. Are you also aware that there are state mandates for the number of officers for particular types of jobs such as booking prisoners, regardless of the seriousness of the offense..and Lawrence has many arrests.

For those that believe writing tickets is the save all...please. Does it help...sure. But, be aware that not every officer can even write speeding tickets because they are not certified in radar usage and this boils down to no time to train due to minimal manpower with high call volume and a respond-to-all calls policy, a policy which has pros and cons and can be debated for another time.

Layoffs are merely a knee jerk reaction and does not address or alleviate the problem. How does rendering one jobless help the economy. That person now goes on unemployment, and if unable to find another job when it expires, has to stop spending as much as possible, possibly deplete their savings on health care and unavoidable life costs, in turn possibly losing their home. I find it hard to believe that creative, analytical minds cannot devise a solution other than layoffs. If departments are top heavy with eligible or soon-to-be retirements, can there be a deal to be made that will save some money. Does the town realize that within the next two years, there will be a fairly large exodus from the police due to retirement eligibility? What sense does it make to layoff when the former scenario is evident? Just cut through attrition if you have to, don't turn people's lives upside down for a knee jerk, easy-way-out reaction.

And for those that truly believe the police are overstaffed (based on your intimate knowledge of what constitutes proper staffing levels for an effective police department) let me remind you that a third-party, impartial consulting firm was paid tens of thousands of dollars by the town and concluded that Lawrence Police is basically bare bones with barely any time for proactive policing initiatives if they have to abide by unfunded state mandates, entertain all calls and attempt to fully satisfy the citizens. Do you citizens calling for layoffs want a cop to come to your door several days after your initial call for your house being broken into...that's what's going on in the cities now, serious increase in response times and a decrease in services. And you guys what your property values to remain stable too, right? You can't have it all. Responsive and effective police, good schools, clean parks, etc. keep a town desirable with stable home prices...fact of life.

Hopefully, we can stick together in hard times and come to a balance without turning lives upside down.

Harry and Jake....The one township cop with many faces

Another poll for the poster above. Should his name begin with an N or D? What will the public decide.

Why not push to have the cell tower, currently set to be installed at Peterson's nursery, installed on Township property . . it seems such a site is avaialble. Thus the very considerable rental fees from Verizon would come to the Township instead of a private individual and benefit us all. And yes, I admit bias since my house is one that will be overshadowed by this 40 foot tower! But the fact remains that these fees would help considerably with the budget shortfall on an annual basis.

Does any one have a number on the officers living out of the township? I bet the people would be astonished by the number.

Check out the police contract in the link below to see where cuts can be made in overtime, days off, accumulated sick leave etc and ask if you have ever had such a sweet deal.
http://www.perc.state.nj.us/publicsectorcontracts.nsf/Contracts%20By%20Employer/ACD952BF81C9F524852577D600602B38/$File/Lawrence%20Tp%20and%20FOP%20Lodge%20209%20R&F%202009.pdf?OpenElement