A municipal merger means the dissolution of a municipality and its absorption by another existing municipality. A merger between Merchantville and Cherry Hill would result in the rights, powers, duties, assets, and liabilities of the dissolved municipality, Merchantville being taken over by Cherry Hill. Merger of municipal governments is a complex matter and requires a substantial commitment of time and resources. The advantages and disadvantages of merging municipal governments will vary greatly depending on the communities that are involved and the type of municipalities proposed for merger. It is important to carefully explore the pros and cons, costs and benefits, of a merger, carefully think about what a merger will and won't accomplish and the length and breadth of processes involved before initiating any petition development effort. While the preparation and processes of a merger ends with an official declaration the outcomes of municipal mergers take years, if not decades, to fully emerge. What exactly does a significant reduction in property taxes mean? According to the new poll, If it is not between 10 and 15 percent, you can forget it. It’s got to make a real dent. It’s got to make a difference in people’s pockets or they won’t see it as worth it to be open minded about allowing home rule to be messed with. http://www.caucusnj.org/adubato/2006/06-0808.aspx

"If you present something that gets voted down, it's probably dead for a decade," says Chester Mayor William Cogger. In light of that thought here are a few things a municipality might consider prior to a petition effort. 1) How will a municipal merger really affect taxes and services? How do you calculate the cost and pay for the unknowns, ie. additional monies and burdens that mergers generate during referendum, restructuring and transition period? 2) How long residents are in transition or restructuring limbo? Can this go on for years? 3) How do you foster acceptance of and nurture credibility in the new municipal government among the absorbed residents. Is it possible to prevent the small fish, big pond scenario as representation recedes and the distance between residents and municipal offices widens? 4) How do you encourage and satisfy citizen engagement when there is no longer a municipality identity or consciousness of local life? 5) Can an historic Main Street comunity ever feel comfortable becoming a 60's strip mall community? 6) How does a municipality continue to provide services when existing municipal operations on hold during a transition? Is that possible or even feasible? 7) What human resource issues come into play for current municipal workers? How do you handle seniority rights, wage discrepancies, pensions, restructure workloads? Do you and your municipal employees get the short straw because you've been dissolved? 8)  What is the potential for the loss of community traditions and culture.

"Bigger government is not always better," said David Sanko, executive director of the state Association of Township Supervisors, which represents 1,455 townships and 10,000 local officials in PA. "Townships aren't failing, declaring bankruptcy or imposing widespread tax increases. Instead it's bigger governments, places like Reading, that are in real financial trouble." Reading's population in 2008 was 80,888, Cherry Hill's population in 2008 was 70,846.

Why does Merchantville need to be savedl?
If the intent is economic stability -
Cherry Hill is facing a $8-9 million budget deficit, Merchantville does not have a budget deficit.
If the intent is better public safety -
Cherry Hill is laying off police, Merchantville is not laying off police.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Police_Layoffs_Looming_in_Cherry_Hill_Philadelphia.html
Cherry Hill Twp. 2008 - Total major crimes: 2,441, Crime rate per 1000: 34.3, Violent rate per 1000: 1.6, Murder: 1, Rape: 9, Robbery: 45, Assault: 59, Burgulary: 298, Domestic violence: 454, Bias crime: 0, Police force: 168.
Merchantville Boro 2008 - Total major crimes: 76, Crime rate per 1000: 20.2, Violent rate per 1000: 0.5, Murder: 0, Rape: 1, Robbery: 1, Assault: 0, Burgulary: 9, Domestic violence: 13, Bias crime: 0, Police force: 16.
If the intent is improved efficiency of municpal services -
According to Mayor Platt, Cherry Hill has laid off more than 10 percent of their workforce this year and have gone through four rounds of layoffs in the last four years. http://cherryhill.injersey.com/2010/06/15/cherry-hill-layoffs-32-government-workers-to-lose-jobs/
Cherry Hill's top building inspector was sentenced to 22 months jail time and three years probation for accepting bribes on 3/9/10.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/ex-cherry_hill_building_inspec.html
To cut additional costs this year Cherry Hill will also: eliminate night court, merge their purchasing department into their finance department, reduce library hours and staff, solicit advertising for the Community Magazine to make this publication self funding, reducing our costs related to crossing guards, reducing our animal control costs, reducing public lands maintenance, reengineering the Police Department
If the intent is to improve the quality and cost of education -
The Cherry Hill school district, like Merchantville's is not immune to budget cuts or tax increases. While there is no question that Cherry Hill provides residents an excellent education and there is disparity in the current educational quality, current budget cuts put the future of quality education at risk in both municipalities. In addition to school taxes, this month the Cherry Hill BOE will vote on whether or not to impose an annual student fee for middle and high school students.
http://cherryhill.injersey.com/2010/04/21/township-council-to-review-defeated-school-district-budget/
http://www.cherryhill-nj.com/news.asp?intCategoryID=58&intArticleID=1312
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20100319_Cherry_Hill_residents_express_fear_on_budget_cuts.html
http://www.phillyburbs.com/information/guide_post/article/188/2010/june/23/student-fees-coming-in-cherry-hill.html
http://www.merchantville.com/index.php/component/content/article/1-latest/1090-school-board-election-and-school-budget-vote-today
If the intent is to reduce or stabilize taxes -
Cherry Hill's general tax rate in 2009 was 5.319, Merchantville's was 5.049. In addition Mayor Platt advocates an individual local levy in order to raise revenue. http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/pdf/lpt/gtr09cam.pdf general / effective tax rate.
"From 1997 to 2007 my taxes have gone up 44%." http://cherryhill-nj.com/CouncilMeetings/Minutes/Minutes_1-12-2009.PDF
The average property ($139,937) tax in Cherry Hill went from $7279.55 in 2008 to $7442.88 in 2009 an increase of $163.34, a 2.2% increase. During the same period the average property ($122,244) tax in Merchantville went from 6166.87 in 2008 to 6171.71 in 2009 an increase of $4.93, a 0.1% increase.
http://www.courierpostonline.com/section/propertytax?appSession=050166148619272
If the intent is higher property values -
Estimated median house or condo value in Merchantville in 2008: $252,482 (it was $121,500 in 2000) increase of 48.1%
Estimated median house or condo value in Cherry Hill in 2008: $293,004 (it was $141,000 in 2000) increase of 48.1%
http://www.city-data.com/city/Merchantville-New-Jersey.html#ixzz0ukHCUHPs

Economic and tax stability -
The infusion of Merchantville's revenues will reduce Cherry Hill's current budget deficit. Are we their answer to their 8-9 million dollar budget deficit? The 2010 version of the County Marlkress Road purchase?
Mayor Platt's remarks: "In the past three years, we have lost more than 30 percent of our state aid, which pays for all of the unfunded mandates that Trenton imposes on our municipality. Furthermore, the national economy has stifled our ability to raise revenue. Building permits and licensing fees have dropped more than 30 percent. It has also suffocated our ability to raise revenue through interest payments from Township investments. These losses are further compounded by our contractual obligations and state-mandated costs to the pension fund and to this public library. Going forward, with the severe drop in overall revenues, the Township could be facing an $8 million deficit next year.... Since 2008, we have gone through three rounds of layoffs and brought the Township headcount down from 351 employees in 2006 to 321 today. We have tightened our belt and will continue to analyze our cost structure when it comes to services. Tonight, I’m also endorsing a plan that I have discussed with Assemblyman Louis Greenwald. As an executive and as a taxpayer, I know the most regressive, painful tax in this state comes from property taxes. There needs to be better options for municipalities to create new streams of revenue. I believe the Assemblyman’s plan to give towns the ability to collect a sales tax or an individual local levy, like they do for towns in Pennsylvania would accomplish this."
Freeholder Ed McDonnell's remarks: "We don't want Merchantville eliminated,"... But we could come up with a consolidation plan that didn't do that. If the entire government was run out of Cherry Hill, but that section would still be called Merchantville, that's probably one way you can sell these mergers."
Budget cuts force layoffs at Farmstead The historic Barclay Farmstead Museum will no longer host regular hours to the public, as its staff of four part-time employees was laid off. On June 14 the township announced its preliminary tax levy and a 10-percent reduction in the township’s work force. Several residents and Friends of the Barclay Farmstead Museum expressed their regret at last week’s meeting and urged Mayor Bernie Platt to not let the museum go into disrepair. Listed in the National and New Jersey Registers of Historical Places, the Farmstead has been a central structure in Cherry Hill since 1826 when Joseph W. Cooper purchased the original 168-acre lot as a summertime retreat. The land was passed down to his great granddaughter, Helen Champion Barclay, who sold the remaining 32-acres of the Farmstead to Cherry Hill in 1974.
Cherry Hill residents express fear on budget cuts, The Philadelphia Inquire, 3/19/10
While most districts were waiting until Monday -- the state deadline -- school officials in Cherry Hill set out yesterday morning to bring their budget in line with the new aid numbers and by 4 p.m. had knocked an additional $6.1 million off the budget. The fears of many -- cuts to sports and the arts, larger teacher layoffs -- were largely averted as school officials laid out a plan to delay maintenance and reduce raises and quickly negotiated a deal for a $1.7 million credit from their health insurer. But the plan also calls for a 4 percent increase in the tax levy. The $165.7 million budget calls for 105 layoffs, 15 more than initially estimated but not as many as had been feared when the news first came that Cherry Hill's state aid had been cut in half to $7.9 million.

Change isn't always progress
Even when change is needed, we need to know what really needs to be changed. Rushing into change without carefully exploring all the pros and cons, and costs and benefits could easily leave a community with buyers remorse. Read the facts and make your own decision. Only after a community examines and defines what progress looks like and means to them, can they differentiate that from change.