Shrewsbury Mayor Reflects on Borough’s Growth

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By Donald W. Burden, Mayor of Shrewsbury
The profile of the communities served by The Two River Times continues to evolve and expand as our commercial and residential properties face the realities of change.  Shrewsbury for example, while being one of the oldest and most historic communities in Monmouth County has effectively evolved from an agriculture community to a highly attractive residential community supported by commercial and retail properties.
With this has come the challenges associated with growth. Probably the most noticeable is the change in traffic patterns and the sheer growth in volume of vehicles passing through the borough.
The changes within Shrewsbury itself have brought additional traffic. Coupled with the fact that as the communities to the east experience unprecedented growth, passage through Shrewsbury to access the Garden State Parkway and communities to the west has increased significantly. With the abandonment of Fort Monmouth resulting in the closing of the east-west passage through the fort, even more stress was moved to the roadways in Shrewsbury. Now we anxiously await the reopening of the roadway through the former fort property, anticipating that it will once again allow alternative passage routes.
Growth, of course, demands more of our volunteers and additional allocations in the local budget. It becomes increasingly difficult to provide all of the services our community has come to expect. Here in Shrewsbury we have seen the growth of age-restricted residential housing and the construction of space for those needing medical assistance. With this comes increased pressure on the resources of our volunteer emergency personnel. How fortunate we are to have a cadre of volunteers working so diligently for the needs of the entire community. Our police and public works employees are continually being called upon and asked to further maximize all their resources.
Shrewsbury, like our neighbors, is called upon to meet the educational needs of our youth. Technology continues to exert pressure not only to keep up but to keep ahead of emerging technologies. It comes not only with the demand and urgent need for equipment and software but also in the clamor to reallocate and reconfigure classroom space to accommodate these new environments. The demands for additional recreational space also continues.
Endeavoring to contain costs and working within the constraints of an imposed 2 percent gap is challenging. Like most of the surrounding communities, the proportion of the annual tax bill for which the local government has total control ranges somewhat less than 30 percent. The remaining tax dollars are ultimately allocated to the school and county expenses. Some expenses are often mandated and assessed beyond the direct authority of the local government. No doubt many generations have had challenges to address and like those before us, we will continue to seek the best for all our constituents.