Advance Robbinsville
March 2024 FREE
community educa�on and Be�er health Programs located on page 10
COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
Mayor Fried talks municpal and school finances INTerVieW By BiLL SANserViNO
Robbinsville High School juniors, pictured above with Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (in green jacket), visited the N.J. statehouse in Trenton to testify in favor of a bill against distracted driving.
Students lobby for measure against distracted driving EDiTeD By BiLL SANserViNO
Juniors at Robbinsville High School were at the N.J. Statehouse in Trenton on Feb. 8 to voice support for a proposed Senate resolution that would urge restaurants to include warnings on their apps regarding distracted driving. The students suggested the resolution to their local sena-
tor, Linda Greenstein (D-14th Dist.), who was the lead sponsor on the measure (SR 39). Following the testimony of the students before the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee, lawmakers voted unanimously to move the resolution to the full Senate for consideration. It was approved by the Senate on Feb. 12. Jennifer Allessio, co-advisor
of the Class of 2025 at Robbinsville High School, said the proposed resolution is a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has reshaped consumer behavior, notably in how consumers order and access food. The students, she said, cited a study that shows digital orders at full-service restauSee LOBBY, Page 2
As Robbinsville Township enters the month of March, one of the main issues on many people’s minds is finances. Inflation and rising costs have not only had an impact on residents’ wallets, but also municipal and school governments as well. Voters will decide the fiscal future of education in the Robbinsville School District this month when they cast their ballots in a special election on March 12. The referendum on the ballot asks residents to approve a $2.75-million increase in property taxes to make up for an anticipated shortfall in revenues. (See the Community Forum section starting on Page 8 for some of the consequences of a no vote.) If the referendum is approved, it will result in an additional tax increase of $16.19 per month on a home with the township average assessed valuation of $379,458. It would also add $32.54 per month in 2025. The vote is necessary because the the amount of the overall tax increase would exceed the state’s 2 percent cap on govern-
ment tax increases. A larger $4.8 million question that was on the general election ballot, failed by a 2,300 to 1,964 vote in November. That money, if approved, would have provided funding for both the shortfall in revenues and also the potential loss of state aid. Robbinsville Advance editor Bill Sanservino recently sat down with Mayor Dave Fried in February to talk about a number of issues confronting the township in 2024. The topics included the upcoming school referendum and the status of the municipal budget as it stood in early Febraury. An edited version of that discussion appears below in Q&A form. Other topics will be printed in future issues of the Advance. *** Robbinsville Advance: I know the township government doesn’t have anything to do with the school budget and the upcoming special election referendum. Do you want to tell me your thoughts on the issue? Dave Fried: I think the district is in a tough spot. You know, See FRIED, Page 17
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