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office in Trenton immediately paints a picture of Nero fiddling while Rome
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Families in Atlantic County are uncertain about our future
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property taxes are too damn high?
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Homestead Rebate program. Expanding
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by Assemblyman Chris Brown

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 with many school districts
A few years ago, the State reneged on a deal
it made

throughout the State. The State told schools (and the people who pay for them) it would
If the governor is opposed to using the money for direct property tax relief, there are
other ways to help alleviate the tax burden.

cover the cost of building new schools. However, when the State needed to balance its
budget in 2010, the State went back on its promise and shifted the cost back to local
property taxpayers. Eighteen school districts in Atlantic County have to pay this
assessment to the State. Families in Egg Harbor Township, for example, have paid more


 


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than $2.2 million in what is called an EDA Assessment charge, and is inline to pay
another $543,000 next year. Its unfair. Instead of buying new moulding for the State
House, the Governor can use the $300 million to eliminate the assessment and pay back
what it owes to local property taxpayers for the last four fiscal years.
If the governor doesnt support this idea, then he should explore other ideas to help
municipalities provide property tax relief. For example, the State collects tax receipts
from utility companies and is supposed to send the revenue to municipalities. Instead,
because it couldn't balance its budget, the State has kept a portion of the revenue for
itself, putting a burden on local property taxpayers. Just because the State mismanaged
its finances, doesnt mean families and retirees should suffer. Three hundred million
dollars would cover the States obligation to municipalities, which would in turn enable
towns to pass along tax relief to local families.
If the governor wont go for those ideas on property tax relief, he can use the money to
get Sandy victims quickly back into their homes. Believe it or not, there are thousands of
families who after four years have not been able to move back into their homes after
Sandy, because the State bureaucracy provides no guidance (when it does, often its bad
advice) and is slow in conducting inspections and actually paying homeowners what
they are owed.
My point is, how can the Governor justify spending $300 million to put up new curtains
in an office he didn't spend much time in this last year when our middle class families are
struggling just to keep their homes?
The Governor says he came to his decision after he toured Marylands State House and
believes New Jersey, as a matter of pride, should have a State House to match. Its the
wrong priority based on the wrong reason.
Im proud to be from New Jersey, but government service means sacrificing on behalf of
those you serve. If its a choice between putting tax dollars into a symbol of pride or
into tax relief, New Jerseys reputation is better served by making the State more
affordable for our families.