Road work

The town of Hammonton's road projects are stalled due to financial reasons. (Courtesy Photo)

Recently there was unfortunate news that road projects had stalled due, according to town officials, to bids that were considered too high by the town. While we appreciate the town council’s commitment to keeping costs down, we feel the situation could have been avoided if these projects were done earlier in the year.

Each year, it seems many projects are done locally during late summer and fall, rather than the spring and early summer. Are these projects being scheduled later in the year to show that the town is doing work right before the election?

It seems to us that starting road projects earlier in the year—particularly this year—would have allowed the town to have more time to deal with high bids, weather and any other challenges that may arisen.

Hammontonians want to see municipal projects completed in a timely manner at a reasonable cost. They don’t care what time of year they’re done, if they’re done right. The political upside to completing projects this way is that it makes local government appears competent to the public. That’s the best way to be a dedicated elected official.

It’s also the best way to achieve reelection. We hope the local elected officials will use the entire calendar for their projects in the coming years.