This Day in History: 1967-03-09

A crowd of more than 400 residents turned the public hearing on the budget into an unruly attack on the Township Committee, forcing them to cut $50,000 from their proposals.  When it became obvious that there was not enough room in the Miller Road Firehouse the meeting was transferred to the High School auditorium where a noose hung from the ceiling indicate the mood of the crowd.  Catcalls and jeers greeted such proposals as a raise in salary for Committeemen from $1,000 to $1,200.  $6,000 earmarked for pay raises for police and $8,000 earmarked for hiring a business administrator purchasing agent.  A third hearing was set for the following week.  No one seems to know why the townspeople are set against all budgets this year, even the Democrats, who lost control over the Town Committee in the last elections and who have sent out fliers against budget increases, admitted that the movement seemed to be a spontaneous “minor miracle” in the words of publicity chairman Mrs. Bernadette Callahan.

(Bristow)