Our View
Speak up before ‘for sale’ sign goes up

It looks like Keyport voters may have to make a tough choice in November.

With the Borough Council’s approval on first reading of an ordinance allowing the municipality to sell off its water and sewer service, the issue is one step closer to being placed on the ballot in November for voters to decide.

The sale of the municipal water and sewer service cannot be made solely by the governing body, it must be decided by voters as a referendum question on the ballot.

If it comes to it, the decision to give up home rule on water and sewer service for borough residents will not be easy.

On one hand, selling the service would alleviate the municipality of the costs and work needed to maintain and repair the system’s existing century-old infrastructure. It would also get the local politicians off the hook when it comes time for rate hikes.

While the system is old and in need of improvements, the municipality has not raised water and sewer rates in over five years.

On the other hand, if the municipality sells the service, the governing body would have virtually no control, or say, when it came to water- and sewer-rate increases imposed by the new, private owner of the system.

The Middlesex Water Co. based in Iselin, plans to increase water rates 61.4 percent and sewer rates 56 percent for residents, when and if it purchases the service from the borough.

Mayor John Merla has said the borough would have to increase water and sewer rates by 100 percent if the borough keeps the service.

Who knows how often a private company would raise the rates in the future? While council members may want to avoid blame from voters for raising rates in an election year, helping to ensure re-election bids, a private company has no such incentive.

The council is planning two public meetings on the subject before Aug. 15 because the ordinance must be approved by that date in order for it to be placed on the November ballot.

The first meeting is slated to take place Aug. 5 at the first aid building, 1927 Atlantic St., where officials from the borough and water company will be on hand to answer questions from the public.

Residents should attend the Aug. 5 meeting and get all of the information they can so they can make an informed decision in November.