Expand Senior Property Tax Freeze Program
I’m pleased to report that the Berkeley Township Council unanimously approved my resolution urging The State to expand the Property Tax Reimbursement Program other known as the “Senior Property Tax Freeze”. As previously reported, the State estimates an unexpected increase in state tax revenues between $500 and $900 million. Upon hearing of the good news, I have urged the Governor and both Democrats and Republicans in the legislature to use at least a portion of that money to expand of the Property Tax Reimbursement Program.
Between a local tax revaluation in Berkeley and frozen enrollment for the Senior Tax Freeze Program since 2009, many Berkeley seniors have been the victim of a double tax hit through no fault of their own. That’s why I’m the proud author of two budget amendments in 2010 which lead to two consecutive no tax increase budgets in Berkeley after a decade of annual increases. Expanding the property tax freeze program and opening it up to new enrollees would go a long way towards easing the property tax burden on middle-class seniors in Berkeley.
I realize times are tough for everyone, but they are even tougher for seniors who are on a fixed income while their cost of living continues to go up. I realize expanding this program doesn't solve our property tax crisis in this state, but it will help seniors struggling to make ends meet get through another year without being forced out of their homes.
State Supreme Court Decision on School Funding
Last week the State Supreme Court’s decision made an already inequitable, unfair and failed education funding plan even worse. Under this funding formula, Berkeley already gets shortchanged. While comparable school districts around the state get upwards of 30 to 40 percent in state education aid, we get 9 to 11 percent. What the Court did was to arbitrarily decide to force struggling taxpayers to come up with more money to fund 31 school districts that fail time and time again, to provide a good education to their students, despite staggering amounts of money from state and local taxpayers.
It’s a sad, but proven fact, that throwing more money at an existing problem will not solve it. This decision does absolutely nothing to help students in underperforming districts succeed, just forces Berkeley taxpayers who are struggling in the worse economic climate since the great depression, to dig deeper into their pockets at a time when they can least afford to do it.
Berkeley taxpayers will get nothing from this decision, except to continue to pay a disproportionate share of our education costs and will have to continue to subsidize the urban districts - paying twice.
I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. I had the honor of participating in many Memorial Day events remembering our fallen service men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice. I wish to thank our local VFW Posts 9503 and 10185 along with the Berkeley Shores Homeowners Civic Association for their efforts in remembering these fallen heroes.