Having called on nearly 2,400 residences since early July, one key common issue has surfaced. Homeowners are angry about escalating taxes in Summit. Several residents, including some who can well afford to live here, are considering moving to other towns or out of state if taxes increase again and the City, County and State governments fail to take positive action to reduce spending.

Home values doubled in a decade and have now receded more than 25% from their peaks. Some people fear that values could go lower. Property taxes have doubled during this same period and continue to rise. There has not been any significant move to lower property taxes to this date, and officials act as if the current economic downfall is only temporary.

Many economists predict a rather bleak scenario for at least the next five years. We must be prepared to bite the bullet and reduce spending to retain our valued residents. Other tax related pressures prevail. Some owners who live near Overlook Hospital feel that the approval of a helipad will decrease their home values and have threatened to apply for tax abatements. Developers, who capitalized on prior escalating prices, are reluctant to invest in future opportunities until they see where the economy is headed and what our planning board approves. We see the challenges with the delays associated with the Summit Medical Group and Salerno-Duane properties that may never be developed as their owners intended. And the same may apply to the former locations of the Bagel Chateau and Douglas Infiniti.

These could be lost fiscal and commercial opportunities. More importantly, the smart development of these properties could contribute to the revitalization of our downtown by providing reasonably priced housing for seniors and commuters who could patronize our store mix.

How do we cope with these problems? The time to explore and implement shared services at all levels of government is now. The economies of joining various entities together under combined leadership can save huge administrative and capital costs.

Summit needs Council members who are experienced in solving complex business problems to confront these future challenges. As a Naval Academy Graduate, Marine Commanding Officer, Harvard MBA and Chief Executive Officer, I have the experience and ability to present and implement ideas that can benefit the financial status of Summit in a fair and meaningful way.