Residents deserve straight info on consolidation from officials

It is with increasing alarm that I read about the continuing efforts to force consolidation of schools and services on residents of New Jersey.

The alleged purpose of consolidation is property tax relief. Please provide examples, from New Jersey or elsewhere, demonstrating that consolidation will result in cost savings. Additionally, please provide whatever detailed studies you’ve consulted or conducted that indicate exactly how, where, how much, and for how long the alleged cost savings will exist. Once you’ve provided both examples and studies to the public, allow the taxpayers, those constituents who allegedly will receive “tax relief,” sufficient time to review, discuss, conduct their own cost/benefit analysis, and make their own informed decision about the future of their municipality, and the future of New Jersey.

There are three possible reasons why successful examples and detailed studies have not been provided.

1. The examples and studies do not exist.

2. The examples and studies exist, but they do not sufficiently demonstrate the likelihood that property tax relief will be the result of consolidation.

3. New Jersey elected officials have not bothered to look for examples or existing studies, or conducted studies.

Reason No. 2 would be, at best, deceitful, and reasons No. 1 or No. 3 illustrate, at best, irresponsible behavior.

To proceed with any kind of forced (via threat of withholding state aid) consolidation would be antithetical to the continuance of representative government in New Jersey.

Byron Sondergard

Metuchen