BROWN AND REINHART RESORT TO LIES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING

         Burlington County Freeholder Director Aubrey Fenton today accused his Democrat opponents of “gross distortions if not outright and deliberate falsehoods” by their allegations that he supports the new regulations promulgated by the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH).

            “I have been an outspoken and consistent opponent of this latest unfunded mandate coming down from the Democrats in the Legislature,” Fenton said.  “Unlike my opponents who remained silent and sat on the sidelines while their party forced these regulations down the throats of local municipalities, I joined with concerned municipal officials in protesting the state action.”

            Fenton said his comments to a forum late last week “were to serve as a warning to municipal officials that if they failed to meet the state-mandated Dec. 31 deadline for submitting an affordable housing plan, they were in jeopardy of being sued and forced into costly and protracted litigation.”

            The end result, he added, is that a town would end up on the short end of a builder’s remedy lawsuit, with the developer and the court taking control of how many houses will be built and where they will have to be built.

            “I remain staunchly opposed to the regulations and the unfunded mandate and I am just as deeply opposed to forcing property taxpayers to defend themselves in a lawsuit,” Fenton said.

            “Local taxpayers have been placed in danger already by the regulations ---  a danger of skyrocketing taxes and unbearable strains on municipal and school district resources,” he continued. 

“My opponents, on the other hand, have demonstrated no concern for taxpayers, preferring to twist and distort my comments in furtherance of their political agenda,” Fenton said.  “They failed to stand up when the regulations were enacted by their fellow Democrats; they have failed to take the side of taxpayers to avoid litigation and they’ve adopted lying as a campaign strategy.”

Fenton added:  “Brown and Reinhart’s statements support Republican congressional candidate Chris Myers, who has been a leader in the fight against these onerous regulations, which his Democrat opponent, Senator John Adler voted for.  I’m sure Mayor Myers appreciates Brown and Reinhart’s endorsement.”