Freeholders list priorities for the coming year BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer EDISON — Keeping the tax rate stable and preserving more open space are two major goals for 2006, said veteran Freeholder Director David B. Crabiel at the board’s reorganization meeting last week. “Last year, as you know, we did cut the levy by $257,000,” he said at the meeting held at Middlesex County College. “Indeed, while we cannot pledge to cut the levy again this year, we do pledge that the county’s equalized property tax rate will decrease, and this is good news for the property taxpayers of Middlesex County.” Middlesex County has a record of 13 consecutive years of stabilized or reduced county property taxes, he said. The board tapped Crabiel, 75, to serve as freeholder director for the ninth time. He has served on the board for 25 years. “I accept those responsibilities with great joy and with great anticipation that, working together, we will again establish, and re-establish Middlesex County as the greatest county in the land,” said Crabiel. Superior Court Judge Robert A. Longhi swore in Crabiel, who has served on the board for 25 years. Superior Court Judge Philip Lewis Paley swore in Camille Fernicola, who has served on the board since 1997. County Clerk Elaine M. Flynn was sworn in to her second term. Freeholder Stephen J. “Pete” Dalina, who has been on the board since 1990, was re-elected as deputy director. The county will pursue corporate, foundation and individual sponsors as well as state and federal grants to help increase utilization of the county’s open spaces, said Crabiel. He also proposed the creation of a Middlesex County Conservation Corps to protect and preserve the lands and natural areas acquired by the Middlesex County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. “With the creation of our Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, more than 6,000 acres of open space have been preserved and 3,700 acres of farmland have been preserved for posterity,” said Crabiel. “In 2005, the preservation projects included the Metuchen Trail Head, the Boyko Farm and the Stanton property.” The county will also take steps to improve its bioterrorism programs. “We will explore the viability of several innovations in our public health department in support of our first responder community to include protection against bioterrorism with preventive medications and new communications equipment,” Crabiel said. This year, Middlesex County College is aggressively pursuing relationships with local area hospitals and health-care facilities that will enhance its nursing program, he said. “The county created and completed the new 180-bed, state-of-the-art facility at Roosevelt Care Center in Edison, and the new tuberculosis clinic and a new rape crisis center,” he said. Phase II of the Roosevelt Care Center plan will continue this year with a new 120-bed facility, Crabiel said. The Raritan River dredging project, from Raritan Bay to New Brunswick, should be completed this year, he said. Other initiatives for the coming year include: • The county transportation department will explore new, fixed route services and use hydraulic lifts to increase efficiency in its vehicle maintenance and repair division. • The engineering and planning departments will launch a program to scan 50,000 large documents for computer storage, which will free up large amounts of storage space. • The first phase of the county’s integrated law enforcement system directly involving municipalities will be unveiled in New Brunswick, Edison and Woodbridge. • The Department on Aging is developing a senior-focused cable TV show providing seniors and their caregivers with information about county programs and services. • The development of the Middlesex County prescription savings program for seniors and disabled citizens. • The county’s clean air initiative to purchase and use hybrid vehicles will continue. • A county pistol firing range will open in Woodbridge. The freeholder board will also solicit county residents to help develop a new county logo and slogan, Crabiel said. “As Freeholder [James] Polos has suggested, there exists great talent and vision throughout Middlesex County and it is our hope, through open competitions, to capture that talent in the form of a logotype and slogan that would help make Middlesex County more recognizable elsewhere,” he said.