STR Local Tax Rate UP Double Digits Again, To $1.21

Elected As A Democrat In 2000, Abe Rodriguez Supports Another Huge Tax Increase, This Time As A Republican

Excessive Spending Probably Not A Major Factor; This Year’s World Class South Toms River Tax Increase Is Due Almost Entirely To Bad Planning Over The Past Five Years

South Toms River: The local government in South Toms River has never been known for its dynamism or its ability to anticipate problems and solve them before they become disasters.

Local officials were repeatedly warned several years ago that bad planning and failure to rezone remaining development property for more professional offices and less tax intensive single family home construction would lead to big tax increases and more overcrowding.

Kearney Proposals For Public Referendum Shot Down

Last year, Democratic Councilwoman Carla Kearney pleaded with her colleagues on the governing body to let the public decide on referendum whether they wanted to give South Toms River a shot at new ratables that wouldn’t drive up taxes but would broaden the tax base and stabilize taxes.

Mrs. Kearney’s proposals were shot down by a coalition which included former councilman Steven Marshall and Councilman Abe Rodriguez, two worthies who believed the public should not be given the chance to vote on Mrs. Kearney’s proposals .

Fourth Successive Big Tax Increase - This Year The Biggest Of All

Now, the chickens have come home to roost again, and the boro will enjoy its fourth successive big tax increase, with this year’s tax hike the largest of all.

Treasurer Stephen O. Gallagher said the increase of 10¢ for every $100 of valuation would cost individual homeowners $100 extra if their homes are assessed at $100,000.

Gallagher said the big increase was caused by a $100,000 revenue shortfall, a representation that is contradictory because Mayor George Greitz also noted the borough was “saving $113,000 in health care costs” by switching to the state health benefits program instead of the private program the boro has been wasting money on for years.

Trimmed Down To The Bone??

Councilman Sanford Ross Jr., the liaison to the budget committee, said “we really took the knife out and trimmed down to the bone”, another statement that does not make any sense in view of the $100,000 tax increase and the $113,00 reduction in health care costs.

If you were at long last the beneficiary of a long overdue $113,000 health care cost reduction, and you increased taxes by $100,000, that is a net $213,000 revenue enhancement, before you start considering the rest of the budget: perhaps there is some great truth lurking in the budget document itself that will explain the seeming contradiction.

Maybe Marshall and Rodriguez, both of whom are now Republicans, would like to take a crack at the explanation in view of Gallagher’s failure to make any sense. A single tax point is only about $9800, the lowest tax point number in the county.

“I hate to say it, but I told you so”, said Democratic Municipal Chairman Bill Hill, who pointed out that he has been warning elected officials for years about the inevitable consequences of their failure to plan effectively to create a larger tax base.

Zoning Reform Committee Report “Died With
The Remnants Of Marshall’s Integrity”

Hill and Marshall were members of a citizens committee that recommended zoning and planning reforms more than two years ago.

But Marshall and Rodriguez did everything they could to sabotage the work of the committee, with the result that the report was pigeon holed and tucked away with the remnants of Marshall’s integrity, with the result that nothing was done.

South Toms River taxpayers will pay dearly, once again.             (4/25/03)

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