Home Care In South Brunswick Township, NJ

SOUTH BRUNSWICK – The state Department of Transportation has approved an extension of the Route 1 congestion relief project, which allows a portion of the shoulder of the highway in the township to be used as a travel lane during peak travel times.

Replicating the process for a previous phase of the project in 2019, which allowed the use of the shoulder lanes on the southern end of Route 1, the extension will allow motorists for a six-month trial period to also use the shoulder lanes beginning at Aaron Road in North Brunswick and ending at Route 522 in the township, as regular lanes of traffic during both the morning and evening rush hours.

This will link with the current stretch of Route 1 where this practice is now authorized and ends at Independence Way.

Final design is expected to be submitted to the DOT by the end of the year, and construction will begin in spring 2024 with the shoulders to be open for travel by June 2024, according to township officials.

Also see:Pedestrian deaths rising. What is causing the accidents in New Jersey?

The project began in June 2017, allowing cars to use the shoulder as a travel lane from 6 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday on Route 1 northbound and southbound from Raymond Road to Promenade Boulevard.

“Our primary goal has been to extend this project throughout South Brunswick," Deputy Mayor Joe Camarota said in a statement. "I’m looking forward to seeing this project implemented and I’m confident it will have the same positive impact that now exists on Route 1.”

The DOT evaluated data over a six-month period and found using the shoulder as a travel lane resulted in three major improvements — travel times were reduced, more traffic was able to move through the area, and safety improved as traffic was spread out over three lanes instead of two, DOT officials said during the initial phase of the project.

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Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

The fire department is looking to replace the current fire truck which is over 30 years old. Election will be held Tuesday, Dec. 12.

Patch Staff

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — The Board of Fire Commissioners of South Brunswick Township Fire District #2 will be holding a special election on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

The election is being held to ask registered voters of the fire district to approve the purchase of a new fire engine to replace a truck that is over 30 years old.

The Commissioners will be asking residents for authorization to purchase the replacement fire truck for an amount not exceeding $1,400,000, and undertake lease-purchase financing or the issuance of notes and/or bonds relative to the purchase.

The election will be held from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Monmouth Junction Fire Station, at 573 Ridge Road in Monmouth Junction. Mail-in ballots will be sent out to those registered voters who have previously requested them from the Middlesex County Board of Elections.

South Brunswick Township Fire District #2, which is protected by the Monmouth Junction Volunteer Fire Department, covers the Monmouth Junction, Dayton, and Deans sections of the township.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A committee of six firefighters from the Fire Department has worked to develop specifications for the new truck. The committee recommends the purchase of a new fire engine custom-built by Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin.

The Fire Department has a long and successful history with Pierce fire apparatus, operating four trucks over the years, including two fire engines currently in service in the township.

Since the pandemic, due to factory shutdowns and continued supply chain issues, the manufacture of new fire apparatus continues to experience delays and significant pricing increases.

Delivery of new fire trucks is nearly 48 months from the date of order.

The new truck will replace an aging fire engine built in 1991 currently in operation by the Fire Department.

“Our 1991 fire engine has served us reliably for over 30 years,” Monmouth Junction Fire Chief Scott Smith said. “Unfortunately, fire apparatus manufacturers continue to report long wait times for new trucks. If we receive all of the necessary approvals, our current engine will be over 35 years old when the new truck is delivered. While we take a great deal of pride in keeping our equipment in top condition, it is time to replace the truck to ensure the continued safe and reliable delivery of emergency services to the public.”

If the expenditure is approved by the voters of Fire District #2, the Board of Fire Commissioners will then begin a competitive bid process for the financing to ensure the most cost-effective purchase possible.

Once the funding option (lease-purchase, notes and/or bonds) is determined, the Commissioners will seek the required approval from the New Jersey State Local Finance Board.

If approval is granted, the Commissioners can then enter into an agreement to purchase the new truck.

As part of the Fire District’s long-range capital planning process, and given the long lead delivery times, the Board of Fire Commissioners has determined that it is necessary to replace the truck and to get it on order as soon as possible.

The Board may also utilize up to $200,000 of existing capital reserve funds to reduce the amount of required financing costs.

TAs the cost of fire apparatus are expected to rise, and delivery times continue to grow, the Commissioners encourage registered voters to vote in favor of the expenditure for the new truck.

“The continued support of the voters and residents of Fire District #2, along with our volunteer firefighters, has allowed the district to maintain a fire tax rate that is amongst the lowest in both Middlesex County and the entire State of New Jersey” District Treasurer Thomas Young, Jr. said. “And for that, we are most grateful to our residents and volunteers”, he added.

Residents with questions regarding the special election are encouraged to visit the fire district’s website at www.sbfd2.com or call 732-329-0250 for additional information.

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Magesh Kamalakannan talks about why he is seeking a seat on the South Brunswick BOE.

Patch Staff

|Updated Sun, Nov 5, 2023 at 3:53 pm ET

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A resident of South Brunswick for 17 years, Magesh Kamalakannan is seeking a seat on the South Brunswick Board of Education in the upcoming election.

In a Q&A with Patch, Kamalakannan speaks about the busing issue, his plans for helping the district navigate budget problems and more.

This year’s election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Early voting has already begun. Click here for our voting guide.

Name: Magesh Kamalakannan

Town of residence: South Brunswick

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Position sought: Board of Education Member

Family: I live in South Brunswick with my wife and 2 kids for the last 17 years. Daughter studied from 3rd grade in SB and graduated HS in 2017. Son who did his entire schooling in SB from his Sand Hills Preschool to his HS graduation in 2021.

Education: B.E.(Mechanical Engineering) & MBA (Finance)

Occupation: ITSM Professional / Manager

Previous or current elected appointed office: None

Campaign website: www.facebook.com/JoyceMageshVivek4BoE

Why are you seeking to run for a seat on the South Brunswick Board of Education?

I came to South Brunswick because it was a very good school district and offered a lot of opportunities to develop from Sports to clubs and other extracurricular activities. But in the last three to five years they have been greatly compromised. I remember those days when my son and other SB kids were practicing for their USTA or GMC tournaments before 2017 under the floodlights. Unfortunately, this is not possible in SB anymore. In 2017 the lights were switched off and after COVID-19 the courts are permanently locked after school hours. How can our country produce tennis champions at the national level if all schools did like our SB administration? Then we have the recent bussing crisis when 250 kids lost their bussing because of the state budget cut and the school tried to save a small amount of $250k and put children's lives at risk. It is an accident waiting to happen in the future because of their wrong decision.

Then we have the $15.5 million (over 5 years - 2.5 million capex and 2.6 million opex every year) which was signed in by the BOE without involving the SB community on a major project of this scale. Ideally, a townhall should have been done on this project and financial experts from the community should have been welcomed to review and analyze the project as the current incumbents running for reelection don’t have the expertise to do a financial evaluation thoroughly. They should have left it to the financial experts in the community through a committee and townhall meeting to update and get feedback from residents.

The school's and BOE members’ first priority should be the students and their interests should never be sacrificed.

That is the reason I decided to run for the BOE - to speak for the students.

What according to you is the biggest issue facing the school district right now?

The biggest issue facing the school district is managing its $166 million budget efficiently. For want of 250k, they have put the lives of 220+ kids at risk. They made a huge blunder by removing the bussing for the summer field development. I took a walk on the path suggested by the school administration and immediately realized that the path couldn’t be used as they were overhead HT power transmission lines. The residents called and later found out that PSEG has blocked the path with chains between the two developments for safety reasons and the school administration totally missed it as no safety study was done till then. And we know the budget cuts are coming from the state because of falling enrollment numbers even in 2019. What planning was done to secure that? It is only last month that our BOE announced about forming a committee.

Also as the Superintendent pointed out in the last BOE meeting - for mandated bussing the state has to give $509/student a year. We have roughly 5000 mandated bussing students. And they have been giving only $400/student a year. Why has the school not demanded this $500k that is due to us every year? When I asked whether any communication was sent by school or BOE to recover this money, there was no clear response. Even considering the last 5 years, it is 2.5 million gone down the drain unclaimed or 5 million over 10 years. The $15.5 million wellness center project is definitely not needed at this budget cut time when no school district has completed 3-5 years with that project to do a meaningful ROI analysis on that.

Learning to manage its budget efficiently and avoiding unnecessary huge projects is the key that the BOE has to focus right now.

SBSD is seeing regular cuts in state aid due to the funding formula. What plans do you have to ensure student services are not cut and there are no job losses for employees?

How many budget meetings have you attended and have you put forth any solutions?

I attended the budget meeting in which the budget for school year 2023-24 was approved. I attended almost all of the BOE meetings this year and also actively encouraged other parents/residents to attend these meetings. Same in the previous years, but mostly remote due to COVID-19. Ideally, they should have a budget meeting (more like a townhall) before it is finalized to discuss the details with the residents/parents and have proper two-way communication instead of the current one-way, three-minute comment section which is not useful to put forth any solutions as they are not tracked and no feedback is given on them in future BOE sessions.

Transportation is a statewide issue. Do you feel transportation issues are being handled well by the district? If not, how do you propose improving it?

It could have been handled better in the following ways:

What other issues do you feel need to be tackled in the district?

What sets you apart from other candidates?

I have been living here for close to two decades and know a good deal about how our schools were five years ago and how they are now. To me, it has come down a lot and this impacts our school ranking and also our property values in the long run. I have expertise in finance and system implementation both of which are needed for a BOE position at a time like this. Unfortunately, the incumbents lack basic expertise in this area and this should be a major criterion that one should look into in the upcoming election. I have around three decades of experience working with Fortune 500 companies and can bring valuable experience to the School Board. I would like to focus on the excellence of our school district; transparency and empowering our parents and residents so they also get involved in major issues.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your campaign?

SBSD has great challenges in front of it. But with a creative mind these challenges can be converted into great opportunities.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Residents in South Brunswick will see an increase in the municipal portion of their property tax bill for 2023.

On Sept. 12, South Brunswick Township adopted a $73.9 million budget for 2023, which has been fueled by an overspending of $1.8 million in the 2022 budget.

In 2022, the average property tax bill was $9,734. In 2023, the tax rate increase will be 7.2 cents on every $100 of assessed value.

During Tuesday’s Council meeting, a resident asked the township government about last year’s overspending.

“The overspending of our 2022 municipal budget by $1.8 million, and now we have to pay it back in our 2023 budget,” said resident John O’Sullivan. “I’m asking for a public accounting on how and why this has happened.”

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

South Brunswick had to go to the state’s Local Finance Board to get approval to exceed the 2 percent spending cap.

Responding to the resident’s question Mayor Charlie Carley said that the price of goods and services have increased across the country leading to rise in township expenditure.

“We cater to the citizenry. But it gets expensive. You will know from the budget that the biggest jump up is in garbage and waste,” Carley said.

“But the jump up in the budget is almost 100 percent due to the increased cost of picking up your garbage twice a week and your recycling. If you don't want us to pick up your garbage, and you want to do a model like Monroe, where you pay someone to pick up your garbage, we'll put that to a public question. The answer is not even complicated.”

Councilman Kenneth Bierman agreed with the Mayor, saying the 2023 budget has not kept up with the inflation rate.

“Our budget has not increased as much as the inflation rate has increased. So, I get what you're asking, but we do our due diligence here to keep our taxes low,” Bierman said.

A public hearing on the budget was held on Aug. 22 and it was officially adopted on Sep. 11.

Many townships in New Jersey including neighboring Princeton have adopted budgets that will see a tax increase for residents.

To have a look at the township budget, click here.

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — The annual election for South Brunswick Township Fire District No. 2 will be held from 2-9 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 17 at the Monmouth Junction Fire Station, 573 Ridge Road in Monmouth Junction.

South Brunswick Fire District 2 covers the Monmouth Junction, Dayton and Deans sections of the Township.

Registered voters of the district will be asked to approve the proposed 2024 operating budget, as well as to elect two commissioners to three-year terms.

The 2024 budget for Fire District No. 2 calls for total appropriations in the amount of $1,272,200, which represents a decrease of $1,124,043 (-46.9%) compared to the 2023 adopted budget. The primary cause of the proposed decrease is attributable to $1,100,000 of capital appropriations to support the lease-purchase of a new tower ladder budgeted in 2023, versus only $100,000 of budgeted capital appropriations in 2024 for a new command vehicle.

The amount to be raised by taxation is $1,151,711, an increase of $70,281 (+6.5%) from 2023. The proposed tax rate of $.045 per hundred of assessed value is $.002 per hundred higher (+4.7%) than budgeted and realized in 2023. The primary causes of the increase in the amount to be raised by taxation is due to the hiring of a full-time Deputy Fire District Coordinator in November of 2023, an anticipated shared services agreement with the other two fire districts within South Brunswick Township in 2024 to provide firefighters for the daytime response to fires and emergencies within the township, and a weak rise in the ratable base of less than 2%.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For a single-family residence in South Brunswick Township assessed at the average value of $196,460, a taxpayer in Fire District #2 would pay approximately $88.40 a year for fire protection. Residents can check their property tax bill from South Brunswick Township to see exactly how much they pay for fire protection.

The fire tax is used to fund fire protection to the residents and businesses of the fire district. This includes the operation and maintenance of the fire stations and fire apparatus, as well as the purchase of firefighting equipment, supplies and protective clothing for firefighters. Since 1924, fire protection has been provided by the Monmouth Junction Volunteer Fire Department.

The use of a volunteer firefighting force results in a significant savings for taxpayers every year. In fact, the fire tax in Fire District #2 is the lowest in Middlesex County on an equalized basis, and amongst the lowest in the entire state of New Jersey.

For the 2024 election, there are two Commissioner’s positions that are up for election, each for a 3-year term. Incumbents Charles Spahr and Douglas Wolfe are running un-opposed on the ballot for re-election.

South Brunswick Township is divided into three separate fire districts, each with their own elected five-member Board of Fire Commissioners.

Said the members of Fire District #2:

"The Commissioners of South Brunswick Township Fire District #2 and the members of the Monmouth Junction Volunteer Fire Department thank the public for their support and encourages the registered voters to vote in favor of the 2024 fire district budget this Saturday."

Residents with questions regarding the fire district election or the proposed budget can visit the fire district’s website at www.sbfd2.com or call 732-329-0250.

Board of Fire CommissionersFire District #2Township of South BrunswickRegular Meeting P.O. Box 114Third Monday at 7:00 P.M. Monmouth Junction, N.J. 08852Monmouth Junction Fire House