HIGH BRIDGE – The borough’s attorney criticized a letter from school district members opposing a proposed financial arrangement for the redevelopment of a vacant and aging West Main Street manufacturing facility during the Borough Council’s Thursday, Aug. 13 meeting.
Borough Attorney Wendy Quiroga said the school district’s letter “toes the line between fact and fiction” after Councilwoman Mary Murdoch read it to the council. The letter was previously distributed to borough residents.
The letter, which lists the names of the borough’s Board of Education members, takes issue with a potential Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement for the redevelopment of the former Exact Level and Tool manufacturing plant site, which sits on a nearly five-acre parcel at 100 West Main St. and has been in discussion after years of neglect.
A PILOT agreement is a contract between a developer and a government entity that allows the owner or developer to pay negotiated annual service charges on a property for a set period, instead of paying traditional property taxes.
At the council’s Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, meeting, it was noted that the borough Planning Board approved the developer’s plans to convert the decades-old building into a mixed-use development that would include 98 residences and commercial spaces. The council designated the site for redevelopment a decade ago.
The school district’s letter contends that a PILOT agreement for the project will place a financial burden on the school district and the borough’s taxpayers. The letter stated that if the agreement is approved, “it can result in reduced educational resources,” which could adversely affect the quality of education and ultimately hurt local property values.
“We do not believe the borough should enter into any PILOT project,” the letter said. “We are asking that no school dollars be negotiated with any developer here in High Bridge, where we have limited industry/business tax dollars.”
The letter also stated that “PILOT shifts the financial burden (in whole or part) from developer to resident, particularly existing residents.”
Additionally, the letter claimed that “the school board, despite repeated requests and a promise for a seat at the table, has still not been invited” to current negotiations on the PILOT agreement.
Borough Attorney Quiroga responded that “the council has made several updates as to where things are and where they are not. As far as I am aware, prior to any consideration of a financial agreement as to how a PILOT agreement is executed, there will be a full-on presentation on all the numbers, and everything will be voted on for residents and the municipal budget.”
Quiroga continued: “There is no diversion of funds. When new properties come online, the budget of the school (district) does not magically increase because new properties are developed in the municipality. The school sets the budget, and they adopt the budget. That budget, no matter what it is, when taxes are collected by the municipality, that check is written, regardless of whether five new homes are built in the community or 100 new homes are built in the community. The school budget is still capped at 2 percent, and they are fully funded. The school budget is what the school budget is, regardless of what the council decides to enter into a financial agreement.”
Business Owner Seeks Relief From Tax Bill Increase
During the public comments section, Raj Srivastava, owner of Qwik Stop Fuel, 104 West Main St., asked the council if it could help provide financial relief from an “unsustainable” property tax rate on his business.
Srivastava told council members that the property’s tax bill increased to $41,000 annually, following a $600,000 property assessment. He said that’s an increase of $25,000 from what he paid in business property taxes in 2023.
Mayor Michelle Lee told Srivastava that he needs to address this issue with the assessor because the council doesn’t have the legal authority to intervene. However, the mayor told Srivastava that she would be happy to assist in arranging a meeting between him and the assessor.
Sewage Fees Questioned
Also during public comments, Lois Anderson of East Main St. questioned whether the borough’s water usage should be used in the calculation of sewage fees charged to residents.
“High Bridge has billed residents for sewer based on their water usage. At one time that probably made sense,” Anderson said. “However, I like to make the case that assumption doesn’t necessarily hold anymore.”
She said drought conditions have forced her to use more water for her plants, shrubs, and lawn at her residence, resulting in her and other residents being billed by the borough for water usage that should not be billed as wastewater treatment handled by Clinton Town.
Anderson asked whether there was a method to separately measure residential water usage and sewage treatment to ensure a “truly fair and accurate” billing system for these services.
Mayor Lee said the town can’t take any action on Anderson’s request until “we have a better understanding of what those numbers are showing. We will ask some additional questions and get some answers for you.”
Capital Improvement Ordinances Introduced
The council approved the introduction of two ordinances for capital improvement expenditures. One of the ordinances is for the replacement of water mains in the Jenny Jump neighborhood. The ordinance authorizes the issuance of $3,500 in bonds or notes to finance the project.
The other ordinance is for various capital improvements in the borough, authorizing the issuance of $1,199,831 in bonds or notes to help finance the cost of the improvements, which total $2,331,623. The remaining costs will be covered by state grants and down payments made by the borough.
Public hearings and adoption votes on both ordinances is set for Thursday, Sept. 10.
Consent Agenda
As part of the consent agenda, the council accepted the resignation of Department of Public Works employee Anthony Frezza. His resignation was effective on July 31.
The council also passed a resolution for “For High Bridge,” a non-profit organization, to apply for permission to obtain a special permit to hold a social affair on an area on Solitude Dam from 1 p.m. to 7.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12 with a rain date of Sept. 13.
Also approved was a resolution for the borough’s fire department’s special permit application to hold a golf outing at 203 Cregar Road from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4.
The council also passed a resolution approving an engineering services agreement with Colliers Engineering & Design to get work on the Silverthorne Road and Cokesbury Road water main project. The project is valued at $68,500 and will be funded with a $4 million water system improvement grant.
Attorney Brian Aloia was hired to serve as special employment counsel for an amount not to exceed $17,500 this year.
A resolution was also approved to update appointments for the borough’s boards and committees. The appointments include the Board of Health, Planning Board, and Historical, Economic Development, Environmental, Golf, Recreation, Special Events, Green and Creative teams, and External Communications committees. The complete list of appointments can be viewed along with this story online at HunterdonReview.com.
New Hire
Following an executive session, the council approved the hiring of Jason Flade to fill the vacant director of the borough’s Department of Public Works, pending completion of a pre-employment physical and comprehensive background check. No salary has yet been specified.