Press Release: Public Forum to Discuss Consolidation of Scotch Plains and Fanwood on Wednesday, March 2nd

 SCOTCH PLAINS, N.J. – February 9, 2011 – Mounting efforts to consolidate Scotch Plains and Fanwood will take another step further on Wednesday, March 2, when a public forum will be held to discuss ways average citizens can initiate reform in New Jersey.

 This will be the second public presentation on the topic, coordinated by Courage to Connect New Jersey, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that is educating the public about a more efficient municipal structure for New Jersey.

 Gina Genovese, the organization’s executive director, made her original presentation on the topic on October 19. Since then, a grassroots group of residents from both towns have asked Courage to Connect New Jersey to present again. The meeting will take place 7:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at the Brunner Elementary School, 721 Westfield Road. Admission is free; the program is open to the public.

 Genovese will be sharing the “Courage to Connect New Jersey Guidebook: The Tools for Municipal Consolidation” published earlier this month. It is a comprehensive manual that provides step-by step measures that residents can take to form municipal consolidation study commissions and, ultimately, consolidate communities.

The event will be hosted by Fred Lange, a Scotch Plains resident who coordinated the Oct. 19 event.  Lange said his ever-increasing tax bill is the reason he is establishing a grassroots movement to combine Scotch Plains and Fanwood.

“Taxes have gone up and we are paying for duplicate services and inefficient negotiations when it comes to labor,” Lange said. “We’ve got to combine municipalities so we have better purchasing power, not only for supplies, but for labor too. Combining towns creates better efficiencies.”

 To learn more about Courage to Connect New Jersey or for a free copy of the guidebook, visit the organization’s website: www.CourageToConnectNJ.org.