Both Old Tappan and Harrington Park mayors said that several residents are asking to have their names removed from a petition filed in the municipalities July 29.
The petition asks that a question be put on the November ballot for "the formation of a joint municipal consolidation study commission for the Borough of Old Tappan and the Borough of Harrington Park." It goes on to state that shared services between the boroughs improves municipal efficiency and results in tax relief.
Old Tappan Mayor Victor Polce said the wording of the petition, which county employees circulated, was misleading and about 50 residents who signed it are asking to have their names removed.
Polce said, "This is not about sharing services. This is about consolidation."
Old Tappan resident and former Democratic council candidate John Shahdanian II, who filed the petition with the Borough, denies that is its intent.
"This petition is for a study to be done to see whether or not towns should share services like the DPW and the Police Department," he said. "It is not a study about whether or not the town should be consolidated."
However, he added that "may be what the study ultimately says is the best way to conserve money."
He dismissed Old Tappan’s current shared services with Harrington Park as being insignificant in terms of savings.
"We share rakes with Harrington Park… We don’t have a global sharing of services," said Shahdanian II, who wants to see such things as a common Police Department, Borough Administrator and DPW.
The "joint municipal consolidation study," said Shahdanian II, is a "formal act required by statute for any of us to do any serious sharing of services." He said conducting this study is the first step in sharing services on a more global scale. Citing the statute, he said although consolidation is an aspect the study would consider, the commission can also posit alternatives to consolidation.
Harrington Park Mayor Paul Hoelscher said residents found the petition unclear and officials are "in the process of reviewing all the names on the petition."
He said residents who asked to have their names removed said "they weren’t told it was a combination of a study for consolidation and shared services."
"Everyone wasn’t aware what the verbiage was before they affixed their names," said Hoelscher. He added that he is in favor of shared services, which he said would be an "ongoing activity."
Polce said more than 220 signatures were obtained, which would have been enough to have the question appear on the ballot since that is greater than 10 percent of the amount of people who voted in the last election. However he said there may not be enough signatures after eliminating the names of those requesting to be removed.
