Dover Council President Gregory McGuckin, a pay-to-pay lawyer whose
law firm has received more no-bid legal services contracts than any
other law firm in Ocean County save one, has acknowledged that
township taxpayers will pay a 50% premium over the appraisal price for
a 14 acre property acquisition on North Bay Avenue.
McGuckin admitted the property, owned by Walter Frankenberg, was
appraised for $1.2 million, but "during negotiations" the township
agreed to pay $1.8 million, or 50% over the appraisal price.
Open Space Plan Anticipated Per Acre Cost Of
$20,000 For More Than 1000 Acres Of Property
The per acre price of $128,570 for the North Bay Avenue acquisition is
roughly 600% higher than the average $20,000 per acre price of more
than 1000 acres of property in the $20 million open space plan
endorsed by every member of the Republican council when they were
candidates in 2003, less than two years age.
Instead of moving ahead with the open space plan when they were sworn
in on January 2nd last year, the GOP Council reneged on their pledge
and appointed Republican County Chairman George Gilmore, head of the
#1 no-bid pay-to-play law firm in the county, to a $90,000 contract to
make adjustments in the township's administrative code.
Delays in Gilmore's code amendment work, according to McGuckin,
delayed everything else for months, and one of the permanent
casualties was the demise of the $20 million open space plan.
Handing Out $600,000 Price Bonus Easier
Than Quibbling About It, Says McGuckin
According to the Observer, McGuckin said paying the $1.8 million price
tag is easier than condemning the property.
Last week, McGuckin and other council members said paying no-bid
lawyers who exceed their contracts with the township by even more than
50%, was easier and less costly than protesting the overcharges, a
concept that is similar to the property price philosophy used by
McGuckin and the GOP council on the North Bay Avenue purchase.
Who Did The Appraisal? How Much Did It Cost?
It is not known who did the North Bay Avenue appraisal, or how much
the township paid for the appraisal which was ignored in any event,
but never-say-die investigative reporters for OCP are
working on obtaining the information, and will pass it on as soon as
it is obtained.
Overcharges, Excessive Cost Agreements
Factors In Spending And Tax Increases
These are all factors in the largest spending increase in the
history of the township and the big tax increase made inevitable by
the spending policies of Gilmore, McGuckin and the GOP council, as
well as the commissioners they appointed to the Dover Municipal
Utilities Authority which has a current-year budget deficit of $5.3
million.
