Dear Community Friends,
I can’t emphasize this enough. Local property taxes have not been adversely impacted through decisions made by our township committee. Our municipal budget remained flat in 2021 and 2022 with absolutely no municipal tax increase whatsoever. Last year there was a very minimal local increase to be able to pay our bills. We are still working very hard at the municipal level to accomplish something very similar for this fiscal year. We now anticipate our budget to be introduced at the April 8 township committee meeting, and the budget presentation and adoption being at our May 13 meeting.
For those who saw increases last year, this was without a doubt the result of the state mandated 10 year property reassessments. Nothing that our township committee had any control over. We did encourage those who were displeased with their reassessed values to file an appeal through the county tax assessors office. I thought the following was good information to share as it certainly benefited some residents who went through the county’s appeal process.
There were 58 appeals filed to the county tax board by Mantua Township residents. As of this date, 23 of those appeals have been resolved for a net loss in assessed value of $890,000.00 which equates to a reduction of $22,677.00 in tax dollars based on last year’s rate. There is one appeal pending attorney approval that could produce a net loss in value of $204,500.00, and an additional tax reduction of $5,210.00.
On Wednesday, March 6, the township held a public auction for the sale of two properties. The first was located in the unit block of Monroe Avenue, and the second was located in the 900 block of Main Street. The sale sold both properties for total proceeds of $110,000.00 to the township.
We received an update on “Tornado Crossing” our disc golf course at Chestnut Branch Park from Jim Kiel. Mr. Kiel has announced that 15 holes are now finished, and the projected final completion for the 18 hole course should be sometime in mid September. The township committee and I would like to thank Mr. Kiel for spearheading this project and thanked the other key team members Jason Moore, Dan Ceravolo and Mike Sheehan for their hard work and volunteerism on the course. We’d also like to extend our gratitude to Park Superintendent, Scott Hellerman and his staff for their efforts and for taking-on the additional responsibilities with this new project.
Mayor video messages #17 with NBC 10 Reporter Brenna Weick, and #18 with my dog and best pal, Beau hit the air this past week. Look for these videos on our social media platforms and on our township website at https://mantuatownship.com/mayors-message/.
On Wednesday, March 20 a group from NEST Multi-Facility Management located at 591 Mantua Boulevard, Suite 101 volunteered at Chestnut Branch Park to clean-up our “Butterfly Garden.” The group of about 15 dedicated workers spent hours beginning the rehabilitation efforts of the garden area which used to house Monarchs and other species of butterflies during the spring and summer seasons. We’d like to thank David Osmer and his staff for their volunteer efforts, it’s truly appreciated.
We’d like to again recognize our female law enforcement officers, Officer Kayla Rhodes and Officer Cecilia Rocco who both attended the Gloucester County “Women in Law Enforcement Breakfast” in honor of Women’s History Month on Wednesday, March 20 at Riverwinds in West Deptford. Officers Rhodes and Officer Rocco had the opportunity to network with other female officers from around the county at the annual breakfast. We’re extremely proud of these young women and thank them both for their dedicated service to both the Mantua and Wenonah communities.
Upcoming Township Meetings and Events:
- Tuesday, March 26 at 6 p.m. is the first Senior Dinner this year for Mantua Seniors at the Community Center.
- Thursday, March 28 is the next Veterans Commission Meeting at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building.
- Thursday, March 28 is the last day for pet registrations with no late fee.
- Friday, March 29 is Good Friday and our municipal offices will be closed for business due to the holiday.
On behalf of Deputy Mayor Pete Scirrotto, myself and the entire Township Committee – we look forward to continuing our service with honesty, integrity and trustful leadership.
Respectfully,
Mayor Robert T. Zimmerman, MAS
