Morris Township aims to “Burst to First” in 2015, to better its Top-Five ranking by a realty firm of best places to live in New Jersey.
So says Dan Caffrey, who was named mayor by his fellow Morris Township committee members this month.
Caffrey mapped out a busy year that will include a new volunteer panel to attract and retain businesses, ongoing redevelopment plans for the former Honeywell tract, upgrades to both municipal swimming pools, and a Township-wide property re-valuation.
But the governing body’s top priority, Caffrey said, “has been and will always be to deliver a fiscally prudent budget for introduction and adoption in early 2015.”
The Mayor, who is an accountant for a large company, cited a no-tax-increase municipal budget last year, a AAA bond rating from Moody’s, and plaudits by an auditor as evidence of sound management.
Last year also saw the Township join four towns in a shared municipal court system to shave costs. A new truck began trash pickups across the municipality. And the Township started disseminating online news and alerts via the Municipal Messenger and Nixle systems.
Robust recreational programs, meanwhile, should expand when upgrades are completed at the Ginty and Streeter pools, said Caffrey, who was elected to his third committee term last fall.
It was a hotly contested race in which his running mate, Republican Louise Johnson, narrowly unseated the committee’s lone Democrat, Jeff Grayzel.
When recounts failed to overturn his 14-vote defeat, Grayzel lamented that “half of the voters have lost representation in which they have confidence.”
Caffrey appeared to take exception to that remark in his speech at the committee’s Jan. 7, 2015, reorganization meeting.
“It is a privilege to serve ALL 24,000, and I mean ALL, residents of this fine community,” Caffrey said, according to text of his speech, which also attempted to counter Grayzel’s campaign assertions that committee Republicans were too secretive.
“This committee has always been open and transparent with ALL of our residents and has encouraged involvement,” said Caffrey.
Another hot campaign topic was the loss of Honeywell, which is moving its global headquarters to Morris Plains after a long and bitter battle with residents who opposed the company’s proposed redevelopment of the 147-acre site on Columbia Turnpike.
Caffrey hailed last year’s “very welcome news” that the Rockefeller and Hovnanian groups plan to acquire the Honeywell tract for a mix of residential and corporate buildings.
“The members of this body agreed with the vast majority of residents in the town that the redevelopment plan for the then-Honeywell property is the best use for that property…it truly is a win/win for Morris Township. At completion and full occupancy it will represent an increase of approximately $600,000 in municipal tax revenue alone,” he said.
Along those lines, Caffrey said, the former mayor, Committeeman Bruce Sisler, will chair the new Economic Development Advisory Committee, comprising local business leaders who will strive to “enhance and improve the business climate” in the Township.
“They will be chartered with actively looking for new businesses to move to our community, and retain the ones that are already here,” Caffrey said.
Read on for the full text of Caffrey’s speech.
REMARKS BY MAYOR DAN CAFFREY
Morris Township Reorganization, Jan. 7, 2015
Thank you and a very Happy New Year to all.….I would like to recognize the dignitaries that have joined us here this evening……
I would also like to recognize, and thank my family here this evening….putting up with the time it takes away, the commitments, and of course the campaigning…Lorraine, Amanda, Brian and Joey…Thank you!!
I want to thank the residents and voters for again placing their trust in me and re-electing me to the committee, which will be my third consecutive term. It is a privilege to serve ALL 24,000 and I mean ALL residents of this fine community.
I finally want to thank the members of the Committee on the dais. I want to thank you for your support and of course your faith. Louise ….first congratulations! You made a terrific running mate…we developed our talking points on the issues that were TRULY important to our residents, we knocked on a lot of doors and conveyed those issues to thousands during the campaign season…and the residents agreed. You will be a great addition to this team!
Scott Rosenbush…I want to thank you for all the guidance over the last six years. Scott imparted much of his wisdom he has accumulated over his last 19 years to us all and continues to do so as both former Mayor and Committeeman. Scott often kept me grounded….. I can hear him say, “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason”… it’s something I often struggle with. Thanks Scott!
Peter Mancuso…or should I say Peter 2 … Peter is our “go to” guy not only on the financial side…but when we need some history of Morris Township….you see he was there from the beginning!!…. All kidding aside…we are lucky to have him up here…his 30-plus years as a governor of the New York Stock Exchange has proved to be invaluable… both as our former mayor and committeeman.
Bruce Sisler…thank you for your service and serving as our mayor last year. If you are currently on the email list for our Municipal Messenger…Bruce was instrumental in its development and roll-out.
The Messenger allows us to provide you with anything and everything important going on in our community as well as an apolitical recap of our meetings, including resolutions and ordinances. It is, and is designed to be, very transparent.
Bruce…at the end of 2014 has also spearheaded… and will chair the EDAC Committee. The Economic Development Advisory Committee… which I will touch on in more detail in a few moments.
I would like to take a few moments and reflect on 2014 and our accolades during the year, and look forward to 2015 and some of the exciting things for Morris Township on the horizon. OK…just so you know…it’s at this point my family rolls their eyes and in unison says, “OH no here he goes again!!”
Financially in 2014, we were able to deliver a flat… zero-percent increase in your overall tax bill. Again… we were well below the cap instituted by Governor Christie. No small feat considering over the last three years we have refunded approximately $7 million in corporate tax appeal refunds….all done without going to outside bonding for a single dollar. Dollars, we all had the foresight to begin putting aside as we began to realize the affects of the financial crisis… and the pressures it had on commercial real estate.
We do still have some outstanding exposure we will take into 2015…but we have settled the vast majority. Last year, Morris Township had the privilege to be re-affirmed by Moody’s with a AAA bond rating…the highest rating awarded. Moody’s doesn’t award AAA ratings lightly…it is due to the years of fiscally prudent budgeting and planning that they recognized us.
In 2014, we saw the roll-out…of phase one of our new trash collection program and process with our new truck. Thanks to Scott Rosenbush…. as he was the key catalyst towards this change. The “one arm bandit,’ as it’s been coined, will allow our DPW…. to improve efficiency while reducing our workers comp costs and exposure.
Phase 2 of the roll-out to the next one-third of the town will be commencing in the coming months.
The year 2014 saw the breaking of ground for the first of our two community pools re-construction projects. Both pools …staples in our community for over 40 years… will be getting some very much needed upgrades.
Ginty Pool broke ground at the end of the season last year and will be completed for the opening of swim season this year…stay tuned for that grand opening celebration!! Streeter Pool is currently slated for start at the end of this years swim season. Look for added and improved programs and events at these new facilities in the coming year and years.
In 2014, we received the very welcome news that the Rockefeller Group in conjunction with Hovnanian would be acquiring the Honeywell property. They have completed the GDP and subdivision process. Next will be the site plan application for both residential and commercial sides of the build-out.
The members of this body agreed with the vast majority of residents in the town that the redevelopment plan for the then-Honeywell property is the best use for that property…it truly is a win/win for Morris Township. At completion and full occupancy it will represent an increase of approximately $600,000 in municipal tax revenue alone.
In 2014, we saw the roll-out of the shared service Joint Municipal Court…in conjunction with four other surrounding towns. Peter Mancuso was the catalyst behind this project, and I am happy to say that year one was very successful.
There is much on the horizon for 2015. First and foremost… the No. 1 priority of this group… has been and will always be to deliver a fiscally prudent budget for introduction and adoption in early 2015. The budget process for 2015 is well underway. This group takes tremendous pride in delivering …over the years what our third-party auditor…the Nisivoccia Group… has referred to as “very fiscally prudent budgets.”
In 2015, as I stated earlier will be the roll-out of the EDAC (Economic Development Advisory Committee). The construction of this committee was spearheaded by Bruce Sisler, and he will chair it. It will allow Morris Township to be proactive in interacting with our business community. The mission of this committee and its members will be to enhance and improve the business climate here in Morris Township.
In addition to strengthening the business environment here in the Township, they will be chartered with actively looking for new businesses to move to our community, and retain the ones that are already here. For the homeowner that means more school tax dollars going to the Morris School District and additional municipal tax revenue for the town. This volunteer committee will be comprised of a number of business leaders here in our community. The fact that these leaders are willing to volunteer their time ….says a lot!
Beginning in our February 2015 meeting and moving forward there will be a new standing agenda item with a monthly update from Bruce on EDAC. We are all excited about its mission and the progress that will be made.
Commencing this month…as ordered by the County Tax Board and through the State… we will undergo a property Re-Valuation…. I am sure you all have received the letter from Appraisal Systems Inc. …they are the contracted firm that will be performing the Re-Val. 2001 was the last year that Morris Township has gone through a Re-Val and I know there are many questions, and more information residents would like to receive on this process.
Recognizing that… we have set up two information sessions here at town hall on Jan. 13th and Jan. 20th at 7 pm. Attending the meeting will be Ernie DelGuercio the CEO of Appraisal Systems to answer questions on the re-val process. Also attending will be our police chief to address the safety procedures that will be in place.
As I stated earlier…2015 will roll-out phase two of our new trash collection, along with the anticipated commencement of Streeter Pool renovations right after the end of the 2015 swim season to be ready to open for the start of the 2016 swim season.
I have met so many of the residents over the last seven years while having the privilege of serving and campaigning. All of them chose to locate to Morris Township for a wide variety of reasons, but there are a few underlying themes.
This committee has always been open and transparent with ALL of our residents and has encouraged involvement. As you will see with all the new appointments tonight to volunteer boards… the vast majority of residents feel this is a community that is OPEN and one you can take an active role in….So, why Morris Township?
One of the lowest tax rates in all of Morris County!!!
An acclaimed public school district …the high school being a leader amongst public high schools in NJ sending students to Ivy league Schools
High-end private schools ALL located in our community….Delbarton, Morristown Beard, Villa Walsh, and The Rabbinical College of America….all of which we are lucky and proud to have in Morris Township.
A recreation dept that is second to none run by Bill Foelsch. It currently has 2,500-3000 youths enrolled in sports and recreation programs annually! Morris Township currently has 18 athletic fields in the Township alone!!!! That does not include the additional 15-18 athletic fields we use on Morris School District properties !!
Two municipal..soon-to-be-high-end municipal pools on both sides of our town where 25-30 percent of families in the community are currently members.
Emergency services second to none…Police, Fire, The Minutemen, and OEM. The Combination Fire department consisting of Career and Volunteer members encompasses the best of both worlds. Between Fire, Minutemen, and OEM, we currently have well over 150 active volunteers dedicating their time to our community.
In the aftermath of three storms…many surrounding communities cut DPW services. The Township…never cut a one…and in fact because of our fiscal responsibility we were able to subcontract out for help in the cleanup. Many folks in surrounding towns have often complimented our DPW on our roads after major snowstorms.
The Municipal Messenger, and NIXLE to communicate all important issues and goings on here in the Township…along with our new interactive website. A key feature of the site allows residents to sign up for automatic alerts.
Hundreds of residents volunteer their time on many of the Township’s boards, sub- committees and athletic boards…because they all care.
One of the most active Senior Citizen clubs in the county…with numerous activities, bus trips, and I must say a killer holiday party.
Some of the finest dining in NJ in neighboring Morristown…which we surround.
Last year, Coldwell Banker and Onboard Informatics ranked Morris Township as one of the top five best places to live in New Jersey for people seeking a suburban lifestyle and the benefits of a thriving community.
That ranking does not happen by accident. Decades of responsible municipal leadership is the reason for this. We are a thriving community where so many residents are raising their families here… after growing up here themselves….including Bruce Sisler.
They are here because our community offers so much and we are ALWAYS looking to make it better. Residents are involved in so many capacities in this town.
Morris Township, and its governing body represent ALL of our residents. Hundreds upon hundreds of volunteers make this community what it is…we are… very… open to the public.
Don’t get me wrong, our goal is to be ranked as THE BEST place to live in NJ….sort of a “Burst to First”…and with our great community and volunteers we will get there. In closing, words from Ronald Reagan:
There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect.
Thank you
