Harrison is in debt $39 million more after the construction of the $200 million Red Bulls stadium. The stadium still refuses to pay property taxes. What do Harrison taxpayers have to show for this? So far only more traffic resulting from the absence of an exit from Rt. 280 to accommodate spectators. During events Harrison taxpayers get to pay for personnel to direct the traffic to a garage that is operated by the Hudson County Improvement authority. Furthermore, Harrison taxpayers pay 365 days a year, whereas the stadium’s administration pays for emergency services only during event days, and the Harrison taxpayers foot the bill to provide personnel for cleaning up refuse on the street after events at the stadium.
This was supposed to be the crown jewel of the Harrison redevelopment plan, and instead it sinks our town even further into debt and decreases the overall quality of life of residents. To have a $200 million stadium built would have one think that a priority would be to contribute back to the community, instead of donating portions of ticket sales from one recent event to a charity for South African poverty.
This was supposed to be the crown jewel of the Harrison redevelopment plan, and instead it sinks our town even further into debt and decreases the overall quality of life of residents. To have a $200 million stadium built would have one think that a priority would be to contribute back to the community, instead of donating portions of ticket sales from one recent event to a charity for South African poverty.
10 acres of land acquired by the Harrison Redevelopment Commission was secured by eminent domain and purchased for a fraction of market value by a corporate developer. Building these condos contributes what back to the community? Not as much as one would think. The land was originally planned for mixed use development: commercial and residential. However, during 12:00 noon town hall meetings, inconvenient for the public to attend, the planning was changed to primarily residential zoning. This reduces the potential for creating jobs and increases the demand for emergency services, of which Harrison is planning to reduce by laying off police and fire fighters to close the town’s budget deficit. The developer gains larger profits from constructing more residential units at the cost of town taxpayers. This is another example of corporate America exploiting municipal resources at the expense of residents.
Hartz Mountain is the next site to be developed in the Harrison Redevelopment Project. This area is highly contaminated with asbestos amongst other pollutants and chemicals leftover from the years it functioned as an industrial factory. Who is going to pay for the remediation of this site before development can take place, the Harrison taxpayers or the developer?
If we look at the track record of the Harrison Redevelopment Commission the taxpaying residents of Harrison have much to fear. To date some the work that has been performed on the site is worrisome: No bid contracts; unethical practices performed by appointed and elected officials. Are these the same people that should be responsible for cleaning up an industrial site of this magnitude?
If we look at the track record of the Harrison Redevelopment Commission the taxpaying residents of Harrison have much to fear. To date some the work that has been performed on the site is worrisome: No bid contracts; unethical practices performed by appointed and elected officials. Are these the same people that should be responsible for cleaning up an industrial site of this magnitude?
It starts here and ends here. We have to elect officials that work in the best interest of residents and not the interests of developers looking to make a substantial profit off of town property. Our elected officials are elected by the people for the people, and by reducing emergency services and increasing home insurance rates they are bringing our towns property values down. If this is their vision for Harrison’s future it’s more like a nightmare. We will be electing people to hold public office in 2011, and I say that in 2012 we should be recalling elected officials that aren’t doing the job we elected them to do. Harrison can be the start of a recall action to show any other town in Hudson County that it is possible to have elected officials that work in the best interest of our future and our children’s future.
