Consolidation

The major issue for Hightstown is to consolidate with East  Windsor because Hightstown's municipal service taxable cost is $818 per person for 5,500 people, with a $4.5 million municipal tax bill and $400 million In assessed property values. East Windsor municipal services taxable cost is $544 per person for  28,500 people with a $15.5 million municipal tax bill and $3,100 million in assessed property values.

First question is what will the added services for Hightstown resident s noble for East Windsor. The best way to estimate this cost is to use the present East Windsor cost per person of $544. The added increase for the 5,500 residents would be $3 million. There is revenue of over $1 million that Hightstown generates so the net increase to East Windsor municipal services taxable cost would be $17.5 million. The total population would be 34,000 and the per person cost would be $515 per person. This would be a reduction of $29 per person In municipal taxable costs for the new 34,000 population.  In terms of tax rate, there would be no change to the East Windsor present $0.50 per $100 of assessed valuation but Hightstown tax rate would go from $1.125 per $100 to $0.50 per  $100.

The advantage to Hightstown is obvious but the advantage to East Windsor is far more significant since Hightstown will bring a minimum of $2.5 million to East Windsor or equivalent to reducing the municipal tax rate to $0.43 per $100 for the first year of the consolidation. That is a tax reduction for a $300,000 assessed value of $1,290.

This analysis demands that a consolidation study committee be  created for the benefit of both communities. We have a consolidated school district and it is time we became a community of one.