Did you know that it is illegal in New Jersey to ask developers for impact fees? The entire state caters to developers. You cannot ask a developer to pay for the impact to the community they are building in. That is an insane law created to protect large developers.

What Monroe could have done, and what we will do, is weigh the impact before giving approval to developers.

Not only was that not done in Monroe, but Tamburro was Chair of the Master Plan committee and changed the Master Plan again and again to allow developers to develop where it was restricted by the Master Plan. The developers buy the property, the Master Plan is changed and the developers build more houses, condos and townhouses.

Then Tamburro and friends claim that their hands are tied because people have a right to develop their private property. They never tell you that they changed the plan to allow that development.

They are also quick to tell us that they can’t ask for impact fees for things like schools which take on the impact through increased enrollment.

If impact fees from developers are illegal, then how could Tamburro and team have asked developers to pay 2 million dollars to offset overspending at the Senior Center?

They get around the law by making it a contribution. The developers bailed out Tamburro and friends by making a “contribution” of 2 million dollars to the Senior Center.

I ask Ward 2 Councilman Tamburro why he never thought to ask his developer friends to donate or “Contribute” money for the overburdened schools. Wouldn’t that be legal? Anyone who thinks that the developers weren’t asked to contribute to the senior center is lying to themselves.

Here are the donations for the Senior Center which was over budget until the developers decided they needed to get rid of 2 million dollars by contributing it to the Senior Center. (Documents)

Please vote for Ken Chiarella for Mayor and Chirag Bhagat and Stanley Edelman for Council on November 3rd.