Your plan to reduce State Aid to "small" Municipalities will be of significant harm to our Borough. If implemented as is, this could cost Oceanport up to $175,000 in State Aid. This, while insignificant to the State finances, places a huge financial burden on our taxpayers of approximately 1.3 cents per $100 of valuation. Oceanport is proud to run an efficient Government. As Chairman of the Finance Committee this year I have seen first hand just how efficient our employees are. Many wear multiple hats and are as much a part of the community as our 5800 residents. Our Borough Hall and police station are outdated, yet we make do because it is prudent to our taxpayers. Our courtroom doubles as our borough meeting room and conference room for our borough committee's. Our volunteers spend countless hours making Oceanport the best it can be. What makes you think we would be more efficient as a larger town? How did you arrive at our population as the arbitrary reason for aid cuts? Perhaps there are ways to measure efficiency other than population. Our "small town feel" is what made Oceanport the Number 4 place to live in New Jersey and Number 1 in Monmouth County, as ranked by New Jersey Monthly Magazine. We constantly see 3 generations of "Oceanporters" on our athletic fields. People here know one another and greet each other by name. Does this occur in larger communities? I think not. As elected officials the decisions we make on an everyday basis effect the lives of all the individuals we represent. I ask you to take a hard look your budget and ask you not to throw away the small towns and perhaps look to us as model of efficiency instead of a model for consolidation. Thanks for your time. Joseph Irace
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