An op-ed piece by Sean Scarborough, president of Scarborough Properties

Creation of a charter school in New Jersey is no easy task, evident from the stories told over the years by founders of the 73 charter schools now open in the state, as well as other organizers whose proposed schools that never got off the ground.

Many would be surprised to know the paramount challenge in building a successful charter school in New Jersey has nothing to do with the curriculum, student and faculty recruitment, or lingering distrust from the local public schools.

The problem has been the financing and construction of a long-term facility that can accommodate a 21st century curriculum. Land costs in New Jersey are astronomical, while construction prices with a reputable builder often are daunting for even the most aggressive fundraiser.
New Jersey needs to create a funding mechanism that levels the playing field between traditional public schools and charter schools, which have been coping with an inherent disadvantage since they first opened in the state in 1997.

If a local board of education is interested in building or expanding a school, the process is simple: There is a special election for voters to approve the issuing of a tax-exempt bond. Taxpayers then pay back the bond over a number of years, and the funds are incorporated in the overall property tax bill; most taxpayers don’t even know or recall what the long-term debt is for.

A Hunterdon County real estate firm is branching out into the Big Apple.

Max Spann Real Estate & Auction Co. said Tuesday it will open an office in Manhattan to service its national clientele, though it will retain its Clinton headquarters.

Max Spann Jr., the company’s president, said the new office will help the company accommodate growth in its offices nationwide. He said the company has continued to see growth despite the recession.

“Our business tends to be somewhat countercyclical,” he said.

The company’s business model offers competitive bid events, including auctions, to sell properties. Spann said that process allows sellers to control the timing of the sale, and the competitive bid platform optimizes prices. He said that’s important in good economic times, but particularly important in bad times.

Recently, the state Department of Community of Affairs (DCA) rejected an application by the citizens of Merchantville and the Township of Cherry Hill to study municipal consolidation. The ruling was surprising, disappointing and — most importantly — wrong.

At a time when New Jersey is facing a severe fiscal crisis, we need every cost-saving option at our disposal. It’s remarkable that the DCA would turn its back on a grassroots effort to reduce local expenses and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy. Once again, Trenton is getting in the way of much-needed reform.

The DCA’s decision turned on two clauses of a 2007 law creating a new form of consolidation, called “Local Option Municipal Consolidation.” The law reads: “[I]n order to encourage municipalities to increase efficiency through municipal consolidation for the purpose of reducing expenses borne by their property taxpayers, more flexible options need to be available to the elected municipal officials and voters.” In addition, the law states that its provisions “shall be liberally construed” to encourage municipal consolidation.