By STEVE PRISAMENT
Staff Writer

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP – The effectiveness of the local Economic Development Advisory Committee was challenged Tuesday, Sept. 9 by Councilwoman Meg Worthington, who is also one of its members.

“I don’t know if we have too many members or too few active members,” Worthington said near the end of a long meeting of the Township Council at the Municipal Complex. “But we don’t seem to be getting anywhere – particularly in getting CRDA funding.”

Established by state law in 1984, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority is charged with reinvesting a portion of casino revenues into economic development projects for the Atlantic City region and the state.

Its mission statement reads:  “It shall encourage business development and permanent job creation, promote opportunities for business expansion, and commit to facilitating a vibrant economic investment and employment environment for New Jersey.”

Worthington and Councilmen Jim Cox and Keith Hartman are members of the township’s Economic Development Advisory Committee.

Other members are Chairman Steve Moliver, Anthony Coppola, Bill Klein, Cory Morowitz, Bruce Sauerwine, Patrick Sheehan, Carla Wackenheim, Charles Wimberg, B.W. Whitley, Eileen Conran, Carl Crowley, Tom Dase, Rich Baehrle, Will Guerro and Rita Stabile. Township Solicitor Michael Blee is also solicitor for the committee. Also a member is the township’s economic development/housing officer Linda McDevitt.

“We haven’t gotten anything from CRDA,” Worthington said. “If the Economic Development (Advisory) Committee wants to be our voice at the CRDA, it’s going to have to step up to the plate.”

Hartman, later at the same meeting, said he took exception to Worthington’s comments.

“On the contrary,” Hartman said. “I think we’ve accomplished more in nine months than the committee has accomplished in nine years.”

He conceded that it has seen little progress in its dealings with CRDA.

“That might be our one area of little results,” Hartman said. “We have accomplished a lot. But we do need to get CRDA to start funding some of it.”

In addition to other gaming-related taxes, state law gives casinos the choice of paying 2.5 percent of its gaming revenue to the state, or reinvesting 1.25 percent of its gaming revenues through the CRDA.  The casinos have always chosen reinvestment.

Under the terms of the reinvestment agreement, casinos pay CRDA 1.25 percent of their annual gaming revenues for 50 years, and the CRDA invests the money.

The authority has been criticized for some of its investment choices.

Approved investments have included the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Montclair. Meanwhile Executive Director Tom Carver indicated the agency probably would not authorize funding for the Atlantic County Institute of Technology expansion.

The township Economic Development Advisory Committee met with the CRDA in March and presented its Community Visioning Plan.

The plan included things like a train station in the Pomona section of the township, a request to conduct a study of how to best expand the downtown growth area and promoting Smithville as a tourist destination.

No CRDA money was approved for Galloway Township projects.