Thank You Candidates Who Showed! It was Excellent!
Thursday, September 15th, 2011updated 10/14/11 Letter to the Editor of the week by Bob Tesoroni:
Recession? Not in Millville!
There is bad news, good news and really good news, depending on your viewpoint. The bad news is that a study was just released in which it is reported that the unemployment rate in Cumberland County is at 14.1% and those on food assistance is at 16.7%. These are staggering numbers and reflect the current economic climate within our county.
The good news is, while it is reported on a daily basis that we are still in a recession, Millville is not being affected by the current downward trend in the economy. I state this based on the following:
In December of 2010, our commissioner’s unanimously approved a 25% increase in the water rate charged to residents. The good news – the reason given, in part, by Commissioner Finch was “this is the first rate increase since 1991″ and, as confirmed by Commissioner Derella, (the amount being generated from the increase – $540,000) will be transferred into the General Fund (no doubt to pay for additional consultants somewhere down the road).
The bad news is that on August 18, 2011, the city listed a tax sale with 639 individuals delinquent in their property taxes, water and sewer bills (no doubt a direct result of increased taxes and water bills).
Now our Commissioner’s are preparing to approve a 4.2 cent increase in local property taxes to balance the 2011 budget. The good news – according to Mr. Derella, the county reduced Millville’s taxes this year, so even with this local increase, your tax bill will be lower. It would have been a novel idea if last year, when the county raised our taxes, the city would have lowered our taxes (but I guess it doesn’t work that way). Perhaps some of this money has to be utilized to make the interest payment on the 1-million dollar loan to the Levoy, from the CCIA, which is due in a couple of months (the taxpayers have already made a $30,000 interest payment last year on the Levoy loan which our Commissioner’s cosigned on the backs of the taxpayers). The good news is – At the last Commission Meeting, Mr. Derella stated that he is “praying for a miracle”. (?)
In May of 2011, the Commissioner’s introduced an initial proposal for a 4.2 cent increase in local property taxes. At that time, Mr. Derella stated that the budget was a work in progress. Five months later and we are still looking at a 4.2 cent increase. In five months of working diligently on the budget, our five commissioners could not find 1 penny of savings. How can five elected officials work diligently on something for five months and still be at the same place they were when the started? Could it be that, as previously stated by Mr. Derella, your county taxes went down so you will be paying less, even with a local increase? – Interpretation: No need to cut wasteful spending.
But there is really good news. The developers that were granted PILOTS (Payments In Lieu Of Taxes) i.e.: the Union Lake Shopping Center and the New Jersey Motorsports Park will not see an increase in their local taxes. No matter how many increases the average taxpayer incurs, their taxes remain the same.
On Tuesday, October 18, 2011, at 6:30 p.m., your commissioner’s will be voting on the budget which includes a 4.2 cent tax increase. If you are of the opinion that this increase is justified, no action is required on your part. If, on the other hand, you feel our commissioner’s need to go back to the table and come back with a (0) zero increase in taxes, come to the meeting. Your presence will send a clear message that we can no longer afford wasteful spending and increased taxes.
Robert A. Tesoroni, Jr.
OTHER NOTABLE RECENT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR BELOW SPOTTED IN THE DL AND AC PRESS:
To the Editor
September 23, 2011
Yoggi Berra”s classic “it’s deja vue all over again” says it all when one reads about Vineland’s Landis Theater’s request for a half million dollars of taxpayer’s money and then thinks about Millville’s Levoy money pit (pun intended). The Levoy got $9 million in public funds, so did the Landis; Commissioner Derella publicly committed to giving the Levoy all the money it needs to operate, the Landis is asking Vineland City Council to do the same; The Levoy and the Landis were both supposed to raise a bunch of money privately but neither even came close to its goals and promises. The list goes on. One difference is that the Landis started with a structure to renovate whereas the Levoy is starting with a hole in the ground as well as in its pocket. Can you define historical structure? The Commissioners were asked if they had inquired of their well paid “professional advisors and consultants” about alternatives to building since the collapse. The inquirer was met with blank stares and ear deafening silence. The Levoy will add to your tax bill on a continuing basis, pure and simple. Ever hear the phrase too big to fail? On October 18 Millville will hold its hearing on the budget. If you have anything to say about the tax increase this budget will impose on the tax paying property owners of Millville come out on October 18 and tell the Commissioners how you feel. If you don’t come out they will continue on their merry way, spending your money on unnecessary, foolish projects And you’ll get the government you deserve.
Paul R. Porreca
TO THE EDITOR:
Citizens living in Cumberland County deserve County property tax relief. Our citizens are beyond economically stressed, they are desperate, deserve to be recognized as such, and are looking for action not rhetoric. It only makes sense that as the wealth of our citizens decline, that our County Government reduce the tax LEVY and get by on less money as well. But as you would expect, that is not the case. The Cumberland County tax LEVY has remained at the same level for the last three years while the citizens ability to pay this tax has spiraled downward.
You’re going to hear all sorts of things from incumbent Freeholders. They’ll be sure to tell you how much they’ve cut back, and all the savings they’ve come up with. But their cutbacks do not come close to those made by the private sector and households of our county. When they take to the podium and tell you how much they’ve done, just ask if the LEVY has been reduced, and of course the answer will be “no”. People, remember the term LEVY….it is the amount sought by taxation and if it is not reduced, nothing has been done to lessen the tax burden. Our tax LEVY must be reduced!
Ratables declined in both 2009 and 2010. Ratables are the values government has determined our properties are worth, and the basis for our tax bill. Normally, if your ratable goes down, which would mean your house or property is worth less, you would pay less in property tax. That has not been the case in the last two years because the ratables, or values of our homes have declined, yet we are still paying the same amount in taxes…what gives? If the county were to reduce your tax bill, as should have been the case, they would not have taken in enough money to maintain their same level of spending. So, instead of cutting the LEVY, they again raised our tax rates….how dare they!
Folks, declining county ratables (wealth) is not a normal thing. In fact, I researched back fifty years and found ratables have declined only two times during that fifty year period, and that my friends, has been the last two years. This freak happening should be a testimonial to how deep the recession is here in Cumberland County, and send a clear message to our Freeholders it’s time to cut the LEVY and share the pain equally with its citizens. It is not business as usual, and County Government needs to revise its business plan accordingly.
Cumberland County’s current Freeholder Board is controlled by Democrats and has been for decades. It’s time for change! Republican Freeholder candidates Bill Gonzalez, Sandy Taylor, Jody Farabella, and Mary Gruccio have pledged to reduce our tax burden. I will accept this pledge as genuine, and take it to mean a reduction in our LEVY. On that basis I give them my support, and ask that you do so as well by voting for them in November.
Remember, it’s all about LEVY REDUCTION. Anything else is rhetoric!
Larry O’Donnell
Millville
Here is a letter in the Daily Journal from Don Ayers; NOT an objective commentator is he. There is no need to say anything about it because the comments from the readers, “trolls” as some call them, basically explain how his letter is nonsense. After you read his desperate plea, take the time to read the comments. Then remember the current city commissioners will be using every trick in the book AGAIN to put money in the “restored” (completely rebuilt including the foundation) Theater of historic bla bla bla.
Don’t forget to read the bogus Final_MOU_for_Presentation[1][1] about the City getting in the hotel business.
Safe some time for the Levoy Funding document.
If you really want to get up to speed read all the posts on the right column. Or read these letters printed in varous local news.
To the Editor:
In these days of an economic downturn, the City of Millvillecontinues to siphon off 50% of new taxes in a special “zone” created in 2006 called the Revenue Allocation District (RAD) which includes the UnionLakeShopping Center. The RAD is greatly misunderstood by the general public but what it does is remove 50% of the new taxes from the zone and puts it into a RAD Utility account that is sued to help landlords and homeowners in Center City and the 3rd Ward to repair and make improvements to their homes. If there were no RAD, all of the new taxes in theUnionLakeShopping Center would go into the City’s general fund and would probably hold our real estate taxes to last year’s level instead of the four cent raise in local purpose taxes that appears to be in store for us in the budget for the coming year. Another use for this additional tax money would be to offset City plans for layoffs in the Police and Fire Departments.
There could be further savings by eliminating the RAD because the 50% of new taxes in this zone that now goes into the RAD Utility account is not subject to School or County taxes that are billed to the City every year. This shortfall must then be made up by the taxes paid by the general public. We are currently seeking further information form the City and in a future letter, we will outline the cost of this RAD to the general public in dollars and what these dollars mean in terms of the taxes you now pay.
Sincerely,
George Cooper
To the Editor: (The following letter is the UN EDITED version thankfully made available)
I’ve made efforts to get to know candidates for public office by calling them, writing, and by attending candidate forums to ask questions in person. To those others out there who do the same, I urge you to question the “public/private partnership” business concept. This concept is surely beyond the scope of a proper and limited government. Amazingly, here in Millvillea plan is underway for a hotel business supported by our local government. You can read the City’s plan at www.millvillefirst.org.
There have been times when governments in this country contributed tax money to build sports stadiums, halls, and other structures so private clubs and companies could make money while competing with private investors. Sometimes they have failed, like the Surf Stadium inAtlantic Citywhich has no team, created as a public/private partnership. Though not an official partnership, the NJMP could also be considered an example of government support gone awry. The track received immense government support but through bankruptcy, it was allowed to pay only 25% of its debt to local businesses and forget the rest. Even on a national level examples abound where government used tax money to pick and choose the winners and losers.
As elections approach we should all be contacting incumbents and challengers to find out their stance on the issue of public/private partnerships. Government clearly should be protecting our inalienable rights with police, education, courts, etc., but when government goes so far as to become the competition in the hotel/restaurant business it’s time to get new officials.
Sincerely,
Evan Shea
To the Editor:
In these days of an economic downturn, the City of Millvillecontinues to siphon off 50% of new taxes in a special “zone” created in 2006 called the Revenue Allocation District (RAD) which includes the UnionLakeShopping Center. The RAD is greatly misunderstood by the general public but what it does is remove 50% of the new taxes from the zone and puts it into a RAD Utility account that is used to help landlords and homeowners in Center City and the 3rd Ward to repair and make improvements to their homes. If there were no RAD, all of the new taxes in theUnionLakeShopping Center would go into the City’s general fund and would probably hold our real estate taxes to last year’s level instead of the four cent raise in local purpose taxes that appears to be in store for us in the budget for the coming year. Another use for this additional tax money would be to offset City plans for layoffs in the Police and Fire Departments.
There could be further savings by eliminating the RAD because the 50% of new taxes in this zone that now goes into the RAD Utility account is not subject to School or County taxes that are billed to the City every year. This shortfall must then be made up by the taxes paid by the general public. We are currently seeking further information form the City and in a future letter, we will outline the cost of this RAD to the general public in dollars and what these dollars mean in terms of the taxes you now pay.
Sincerely,
Harry Fisher
George Cooper
Joe Hanlon
To the Editor:
Millville’s Commissioners are spending tax money to make plans on spending more tax money. Consultants are being hired. Studies are being ordered. Drawings are to be done and lawyers are being paid to prepare contracts. MOU is what the most recent is called. It obligates the property owners in Millvilleto insure the costs of building unneeded buildings. MOU, an acronym for Memorandum of Understanding, requires future debt. Debt that property taxes will eventually pay for.
Since no developer has arisen from the ashes to build the desires of the government ofMillville, the government ofMillvillehas decided it must use your money and become developers. With only minor research and a little common sense nearly anyone could come to the conclusion that a profit seeking entity would build, if it would become a successful (meaning profitable) investment. That’s not happening.
What is happening are cuts in services, increases in service costs, layoffs and higher property taxes. How many times, after the failure of one government plan or another, have you heard the “WHO KNEW?” proclamation by the officials that proposed and implemented the plan? I want them to know right now—if the Overlook project is attempted, as described in the MOU, property owners inMillvillewill be on the hook and paying this debt. The partnering contractor has already built a hotel inMillville. They should know if another would cannibalize patrons, destroying both, or be successful. The only reason that makes sense when taking a partner is to cushion your fall. You, the taxpayer, have been volunteered as the fall guy cushion.
If you think this is grand, then stand by and say nothing. Shortly in the future you will hear that taxes are rising again. It will be out of the Commissioners control, the debt must be paid, it’s from prior agreements, nothing can be done, WHO KNEW the building wouldn’t pay?
If you are not interested in taking a developer’s risk, if you think your money might be better spent on protection from criminals, water, sewer, roads and infrastructure stand up and speak, go to a meeting, tell your friends and neighbors, call and complain. Only the squeaking wheel gets attention.
Sincerely,
Paul R. Porreca, Jr.