Nurko challenges Kinsey in Millstone Township
Both candidates for committee see taxes as No. 1 priority
BY JANE MEGGITT and
JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writers

"We still need to keep up the fight for genuine tax reform and not settle for the little bone of tax relief doled out by the state." - William Nurko

MILLSTONE - A former mayor will try to defeat the current deputy mayor in this year's election for the one open seat on the Township Committee.

Democrat William M. Nurko and Republican incumbent Robert Kinsey have both filed to seek their respective political party's nomination in the June 5 primary to run for the open seat in the November election.

Nurko, 62, served on the Township Committee from 2000 to 2005 and served as mayor in 2003. He also served on the township's Planning Board from 1984 to 2000.

When asked, after losing the November 2006 election, if he would run again, Nurko had said he did not know but would keep his options open.

"So you could say I am exercising that option," he said in a recent interview. "Plus, there is a saying that competition is healthy."

An alumnus of The Peddie School in Hightstown and a graduate of Georgia Tech in Georgia with a bachelor of mechanical engineering degree, Nurko said, "I am a lifelong resident of Millstone and am ready, willing, and able to serve my community to help keep Millstone the best place to live in Monmouth County."

"I will continue to ensure that we earn the highest interest rate possible on municipal deposits." - Bob Kinsey

In his view, based on how recent voting results failed fire district and school budgets, taxes are still the No. 1 issue in Millstone Township.

"We still need to keep up the fight for genuine tax reform and not settle for the little bone of tax relief doled out by the state," he said. "While on the local level, we still have to be fiscally responsible to keep our house in order," Nurko said.

Kinsey, 47, is the founder/CFO of an environmental real estate finance and consulting firm and has a bachelor of science degree in accounting from The College of New Jersey School of Business, Ewing.

"I am running for re-election to continue, and improve on, the reforms I have helped implement since I took office three years ago," Kinsey said.

He continued, "I have helped introduce sound financial reforms, implemented budgetary spending controls and set fiscal accountability standards, which have helped us stabilize the municipal tax rate while we continue to focus on the long-term growth and financial plan for the township."

Kinsey considers the refinancing of the township's outstanding debt during his first year in office and locking in historically low long-term interest rates major steps in the right direction for the township's finances.

"This eliminated the township's exposure to fluctuations in interest rates which is currently plaguing other municipalities," he said.

Kinsey said he has also spearheaded long-term planning initiatives for the community's growing recreational needs and for its commercial ratable corridors on routes 33 and 537.

"Both of these studies are expected to be completed in 2007 and will be instrumental in shaping future plans and enhancing the quality of life for all the residents of Millstone," he said.

As liaison to recreation and buildings and grounds, he has also worked toward obtaining improvements for the Community Center, new bathroom facilities at the Brandywine soccer fields, and the opening of Abate Park. As liaison to the Department of Public Works, he has worked closely with the new leadership in that department to increase productivity and upgrade equipment.

He said he has also worked closely with the Open Space and Farmland Preservation Council to find alternative financing solutions to meet the increased demand from the farming community to preserve farmlands.

"The result has been our ability to stretch the open space tax and preserve these farms quickly and cost effectively," he said. "This reduces future development potential and takes pressure off of our schools and infrastructure needs."

Like Nurko, Kinsey also sees taxes as the most important issue the township is facing. He also considers education and development to be major concerns.

"Taxes are and will continue to be of foremost concern to the residents," he said. "I will continue to ensure that we earn the highest interest rate possible on municipal deposits, while setting increased standards for fiscal accountability and responsibility in connection with budgetary spending controls."

Kinsey said he would continue to monitor capital expenditure programs to ensure they come in on or under budget and would maximize the use of grant money to offset the cost to the residents.

"I will escalate the use of interlocal service agreements to provide superior service while minimizing the cost to the residents," he said.

With regard to education, he said the township has undertaken a number of initiatives to help shoulder the increased costs of providing a top-quality education to the children in the community.

"We have increased our interlocal service agreements with the Board of Education in an effort to generate more revenue for the school district while providing quality, cost-effective services to the residents," he said.

Kinsey said the township currently services $4.5 million in debt used to purchase the property for the new middle school, which impacts the municipal budget by approximately $300,000 per year. He also said the township's proposed solar initiative would save both the township and the board money by lowering the tax burden on residents due to rising energy costs.

With regard to development, Kinsey said the township has passed a number of ordinances during his tenure to shift the impact cost of new development from the residents to the developers by increasing Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) fees paid by developers and implementing a recreational fee ordinance that requires developers to shoulder more of the responsibility for the township's recreational needs.

"We have increased the development activity on our commercial highway corridors and are laying down plans to ensure better long-term plans to increase revenue from commercial sources and reduce the tax burden to the residents," he said.

Kinsey said the town's rehabilitated and actively managed open space program will continue to be its best weapon against residential development and the tax burden associated with it.

"Along with the rest of the Township Committee and municipal employees, I will continue to improve on the plans and initiatives that we have implemented to further eliminate waste, source new revenues, and increase services while minimizing the tax burden to the residents of Millstone," Kinsey said.