Dear Editor:
What I didn’t care for was the poor me crowd at the last council meeting alleging seniors would be hit harder by the proposed 3.5% tax increase. If your actually in a lower income you can apply for and get every year a senior tax freeze; your taxes remain as they were at 65 (apply at 67). But if your living in a $309,000 home how could you be unable to handle $64 a year? (Don’t shop at Whole Foods).
It is the Board of Education that takes most of the taxes; as seniors keep paying their increase. Also the last administration spent over $4 million on artificial turf; letting the BOE maintenance crews deteriorate the natural lawn fields. Then the Waterview fiasco and betrayal no rezone, and the $3.5 million local open space funds for 9.26 acres, outrageous. Why did we pay commercial value when we knew since October 2013 open space was in the picture?
The UPS PILOT Deal in leu of taxes. It also appears that corporate development and new luxury homes are not paying dividends as their contributions amount to 49%. (49% for corporate). Parsippany’s tax ratables and over development has brought us what? None of their tax base goes to BOE. Corporate development should have tipped the scale over 50%.
Mayor Soriano was also falsely accused of creating first two now now new jobs. Not true these jobs are being replaced or filled, which is a good thing. So for $64.93 a year living in a $309,000 home you’d rather make someone jobless? Council President Carifi, Council Vice President Janice McCarthy and Councilwoman Emily Peterson keep up the good work. Oh; were already saving on legal bills now that your truly is no longer causing undue lawsuits and making deals that favor developers over Parsippany residents.
The BOE needs to be scrutinized and I don’t mean the teachers. Here’s what the recent Council meeting anti-3.5% crowd is against for perhaps $64.93 a year. The money you pay in taxes goes to many places. In addition to paying the salaries of government workers, your tax dollars also help to support common resources, such as police and firefighters. Tax money helps to ensure the roads you travel on are safe and well-maintained. Taxes fund public libraries and parks.
These cheap skates would rather the common be demised for their personal political reasons. What can be recommended is a senior tax reduction for BOE. When a BOE can suddenly find $4++ million in their budget and use it for turf fields something is a awry. Or did the field of dreams somehow become a reality?
Nick Homyak
Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034
