Hightstown Borough Council Candidate Profile: Rob Thibault

Name: Rob Thibault
Party: Democrat
Running for: 3 year term

Why are you running for council?
I’m running for Borough Council because, like you, I’m a taxpayer who works hard every day to take care of my family, pay my bills and with some luck, put money away for the future.

In the 14 years my family has lived in Hightstown that’s gotten harder and harder to do.  We – like every other family in the Borough – have seen our property taxes more than double while services have been reduced.  I think it’s time to take the steps necessary to help make Hightstown a better and more affordable place to live, work and raise our families.

What are the three issues most important to you?
The key issue, not just in the election, but one that has been facing the Borough for years, is the need to reduce the tax burden on residents without further reducing services.  One reason this issue goes unchallenged is that special interest groups are determined to keep doing what has always been done, no matter the cost to taxpayers.  And we’ve seen the effect: Hightstown’s municipal taxes are the highest in suburban Mercer County and among the highest in the state. 

These high taxes are at the root of many of the other issues facing the Borough. High taxes make it more difficult to sell a home and discourage new families from buying one.  High taxes drive down property values and drive out long-time residents who can no longer afford to live here.  And finally, high taxes drive up costs for existing businesses and discourage new businesses from relocating and investing in the Borough.

Why should residents vote for you?
In speaking out on issues at public meetings over the years, I’ve developed a reputation for meticulous research, comprehensive analysis and reasoned, well-informed discussion.  My efforts on behalf of Borough residents to increase transparency and accountability, fight tax increases and control spending led the Trenton Times and Windsor-Hights Herald to call me “a consistent and ardent advocate for taxpayer interests,” and one recent blogger dubbed me “an accountability guru.”  As a Council Member, I can be more effective in protecting taxpayers and serve as a leader in developing new, creative solutions that provide real cost savings while maintaining or improving services to residents.  I put this principle – taxpayer advocacy – above partisanship and the special interests who are committed to serving their own needs at our expense.