Message from Councilman Matt Adams | November 4, 2022

2023 Is Shaping Up to Be a Stellar Year for Scotch Plains

As we set our sights on Thanksgiving and the array of end-of-the-year holidays celebrated across our wonderfully diverse town, the Township Council is already focused on strategic planning for the coming year. There are a number of exciting initiatives underway, as we collectively work to keep pushing Scotch Plains forward.

First and foremost, in the coming months, Scotch Plains will choose a developer to revitalize close to 9 acres of municipal land along Park Avenue where the current town hall sits.  As has been widely reported, the Township received an astonishing 11 separate responses to its open, transparent request for proposals.

The Township has been closely examining these proposals, and that process will culminate with the selection of a developer soon.  This developer will purchase and develop municipal lands to achieve the dual goal of satisfying our Town’s affordable housing mandate and revitalizing our central business district with exciting new shops and restaurants.  The money generated from that sale will go right back into building a new library and first responder headquarters to replace our Town’s dated facilities. 

We will strive to undertake this massive upgrade to our Town in a tax neutral way, using the funds generated by the sale of the municipal lands to finance the upgraded community assets elsewhere.  Despite speculation by certain detractors, the Township is guided in this process by Acacia Financial Group, Inc., a widely respected financial advisory firm that helps municipalities and private sector clients alike with the financial aspects of large-scale capital improvement projects.

The redevelopment of Township-owned property in our central business district will come in addition to the various private redevelopment projects that are already underway in the Township, as summarized in the following infographic released by Director of Redevelopment Tom Strowe last month.

Click here for the latest on redevelopment.

We are also already focused on developing a careful, responsible municipal budget for next year. As we have been able to keep municipal taxes flat in recent years, while maintaining a superb Triple A bond rating (the highest available and indicative of strong leadership and sound financial practice) from independent credit agencies, the governing body is eager to maintain the momentum and stability for residents that results from sound fiscal management.

With a flat tax rate, just look at all that has been accomplished in the past few years. This Township Council was the driving force behind the renovations of the Southside Field; the budgetary allocations for other extensive, ongoing renovations to our parks; weekly recycling; and equipment upgrades and new personnel in each of our emergency services departments and the Department of Public Works.  Yes, we are living through an inflationary period where costs are increasing on just about everything.  However, we are still finding a way to keep moving forward with careful planning and critical attention to every single detail. 

The governing body, as well as the township’s administrators, treat the municipal budget like a household budget. We analyze every proposed expenditure to decide what is absolutely needed. So, we make sure there are more police officers and more DPW workers to keep our township safe and properly maintained. We ensure that our Fire Department has the equipment that it needs to ensure the safety of residents and firefighters alike. 

We make sure the downtown redevelopment plan is moving forward, and that we have the right professionals engaged to guide the process. We aggressively secure outside grants, like the $4 million the state recently announced will be used to help us build our new public library, or work with Union County to fund the $500,000 flood control project off Route 22 that has been recently completed.  We secure federal dollars when available, like the US Department of Agriculture grant we obtained to help the residents of Southwyck Village engage in a flood mitigation project with broad impacts felt throughout town.  Those efforts must be carefully orchestrated, timed, and executed to maximize the benefits to residents and protect the bottom line. 

We have no interest in borrowing tens of millions of dollars, like some appear to suggest, for local flood control projects that won’t actually control flooding. Yet we are in active discussions with the county, the state, and federal government to launch flood mitigation programs along the entire Green Brook, which traverses Scotch Plains. And, rather than Scotch Plains taxpayers, outside government entities will pay for these regional projects that will finally control flooding in our community.

We are pursuing smart development policy too, such as the proposed ordinance that would finally require developers to study the underground water tables to ensure their construction projects do not cause flooding for the next-door neighbors.

In my two years on the Township Council, I have learned the enormous value of building partnerships to create solutions. I am pleased to serve on a governing body that may disagree at times, but is squarely focused on doing the work, building consensus through robust debate, and working together for the best outcome for our fellow residents.  A lot goes into this job, and my colleagues and I have the right blend of talents that continues to produce lasting results for the people of Scotch Plains.

We also have the benefit of strong two-way communication with the Board of Education, Governor’s Office, Union County, our New Jersey state legislators, and our U.S. congressional delegation.  We all realize that working together is the only way we can responsibly solve the many issues that arise, as we continue to offer more but spend less.

As I look to celebrating Thanksgiving in a few weeks with my family, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the public, as well as being part of a government that is effective and proactive. We are all sick and tired of all the partisan politics in Washington that are grinding a halt to any true progress. It is upsetting; we all deserve more from our federal representatives.  They could learn a thing or two from what is happening in Scotch Plains.  Together, we are moving forward.

There is plenty of be thankful for in Scotch Plains – a town on the rise with its best days ahead. Especially the countless volunteers who staff our boards, commissions, and committees; smart, dedicated leaders in our various departments; and each and every dedicated Scotch Plains resident who will work together to continue our tremendous momentum into 2023.