CCM Hires Law Firm To Give Frustrated Montclair Taxpayers "Greater Voice"
Group says it is frustrated by town's lack of financial transparency
The Concerned Citizens of Montclair, a nonpartisan group of Montclair residents organized in 2010, released the following statement on Wednesday:
"CCM has found it necessary to hire Hill Wallack, which has an extensive municipal law practice and experience in creative government problem solving, as a result of the continuing lack of financial transparency, unwillingness to work seriously with the citizen-staffed Operating Budget Advisory Committee (OBAC) or the Capital Finance Committee (CFC), and unwillingness to streamline operations and reduce municipal expenses on the part of the Township of Montclair.
"After months of asking for a flat 2011 budget, asking for explanations of how tax revenues are spent, and asking for serious efforts to reduce spending, CCM has decided that it has no other option but to hire a law firm well versed in municipal operations and finance.
"Hill Wallack LLP partner Paul Josephson is leading the Hill Wallack team. Mr. Josephson spearheaded the merger of the Turnpike and Parkway administrations others said was impossible, eliminating tens of millions in wasteful spending. He oversaw the revamping of the State's disastrously implemented EZPass system, greatly reducing both toll collection costs and tollpayer aggravation. He also ran the civil side of the Attorney General's Office, and practices extensively before the State's Department of Community Affairs, which oversees Montclair's finances. Mr. Josephson attended grade and high school in Montclair, and grew up next door in Verona. He cares about our community, and CCM hopes the Township will work with him and us to advance transparency and creative new approaches to our budget problems.
"Since its inception in 2010, CCM has advocated for a transparent budget process, fiscal prudence and a flat budget. All of these goals flow from the fact that taxpayers have a right to see where their money is going and participate meaningfully in the budget process. Unfortunately, the Township of Montclair has not yet established these common sense goals as priorities for the town administration as we enter a new budget cycle. We expect Hill Wallack will help give frustrated taxpayers greater voice in this process."
What do you think? Let Patch know in the comments section.
Don
5:53 pm on Wednesday, November 9, 2011
It strikes me as a depressing comment on the huge gap between politicians and townspeople that this citizens group in Montclair feels to they need to HIRE somebody to get their interests recognized. Can't we somehow change the way we elect local government to make them more responsive? I am particularly thinking about the voting machine scandal which now has dragged on for years and has not been addressed by the state, despite court cases that make it crystal clear that the voting machines should never have been purchased, and since they were, should have been replaced as soon as it became obvious that they could not be fixed. The fact that we still are confronted with the insecure voting machines on each election is a slap in the face to hnest New Jerseyans and the concept of democracy in America. No NJ politician now in office can truly be said to be legitimately there with 100% certainty. Lawsuits by Rutgers, various citizens groups, and others have been won but it all comes down to the state ENFORCING THE LAWS - Damn them!
http://citpsite.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/oldsite-htdocs/voting/advantage/
http://law.newark.rutgers.edu/news-events/releases/study-done-constitutional-litigation-clinic-shows-nj-e-voting-machines-very-vul
Portmanteau
12:24 am on Thursday, November 10, 2011
The state is over-priced. I for one cannot wait to leave.
Don
7:14 am on Thursday, November 10, 2011
It's because of is proximity to NYC. If gas prices or traffic go up it will get worse, the closer in you are. If the economy tanks and jobs continue to be soft, home prices will fall and tax assessments may have to too. Lots of other places have far worse job pictures. so they are cheaper. The South, especially. I have a friend also living in Toronto and he loves it. Real estate prices there, however, are going up. Taxes are around 1% higher. Lots of retirees are moving to Costa Rica and Panama where real estate developers are evicting and in some cases even killing the current residents to make way for them.
Dan
8:47 am on Thursday, November 10, 2011
We don't need to leave, we need to fix it. We have a township manager who is in the Mayor and Council's pocket. He is clearly not serving the citizens, but the mayor. I would venture to say that most, if not all of the members of the CCM are better able to examine and determine matters of finance than anyone on the payroll or in town govt. The fact that they won't listen to the people they "serve" is ridiculous. Don't worry, the time for change is coming. The democratic base in NJ are like lambs. They only listen to rhetoric and half-truths. Caldwell just voted out two republicans that actually reduced the town budget. This is not only a Montclair issue. But, what can you expect from people in a town that chooses not to elect the school board, who determines most of our taxes due.