Who knew, what did they know and when did they know it?
Yes, we were assured the Township of Washington taxes would not go up this year. We were not to have, nor does, our township have a planned tax increase this year. Guess what? The new tax bills within the county are on the street. Yes, there are tax increases. Increases are being experienced in various parts of the Township of Washington because the county took advantage of raising selected assessments.
The increases are calculated on our county’s increased value assessments of property. Our county was not involved in any of the township’s no tax increase statements. Politicians learn to speak in cloaked sentences. I wonder if the fly on the wall could tell us what might have been said between the freeholders and township mayor administration.
Dominick DiCicco (R, Gloucester-Salem-Cumberland) fought for the 2 percent cap on taxes in 2010. The state Democrats gerrymandered him out of the fourth legislature district into District 3 to protect state Sen. Fred Madden, and assemblypersons Paul Moriarty and Gabriella Mosquera.
Exceptions by the legislature allowed taxes beyond the 2 percent cap. The higher exceptions allowed for increased costs related to pensions, health benefits, debt, construction and emergencies. In March, the assembly enacted A1655 allowing more adjustments to the cap via budgeting.
A1655 was led by assemblypersons Gary Schaer, Shavonda Sumter, Benjie Wimberley, Daniel Benson, Craig Coughlin and Timothy Eustace — all North Jersey representatives. Locally, assemblypersons Moriarty and Mosquera voted with the Democrat colleagues. Moriarty pledged property tax relief in 2004 through 2010. Mosquera opined for a $2,000 cut in 2013.
Gerald Keer
