Dear Editor:
During the last council meeting I found it odd that Councilman Mc Grath who along with Councilman Carifi who both voted for the possible sighting of an ICE Detention Center in Parsippany. Which would be totally exempt for local property taxes. Were at odds about the possible PILOT Programs in town. In 2024 a majority of Republicans on the town council were in favor of warehouse PILOT Projects, which mayor Barberio and his very good friend John Inglesino were pushing for.
As an aside, FORMER Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem did not consider placing any ICE Dentition Centers in her home state of South Dakota. If these centers were such a great deal, why were none planned in South Dakota? Her home state has a population of under 900,000 and has 77,000 square miles of land mass. Let’s compare that to New Jersey which a population of 9.5 million and has a land mass of 7,354 square miles, and already has two ICE human warehouses.. It would appear South Dakota has a clear advantage in open space. New Jersey is the only state where all counties are designated as urban.
Until the stacked deck that is completely in favor of greedy developers is adjusted, towns are pretty much at the mercy of these robber baron developers. Jersey Senate Bill S-1807 is a step in right direction to a new and fairer method to gauge what a fair amount the developers must pay in way of their PILOT payments to be dedicated to schools. Personally I would like to see S 1807 go further but at least it is a start. Anything else will result in financial ruin for homeowners in every Borough, Town and City in New Jersey.
Rather than residents complaining about the unrestrained proliferation of PILOT Programs, we must band together in an effort to place pressure on the politicians in Trenton. Our elected officials at the local level do not have the tools in their toolbox to fight the developers as the guidelines now exist.
So what do we do next? Contacting your state legislators by phone, mail and email would be step in the right direction. Form letters are ignored by the folks in Trenton so don’t bother with them. Putting an honest effort into reaching out to Trenton must be a priority to all tax payers. Anyone that is not willing to do this has no right to complain about their property taxes. The people in Trenton see these letters, calls and emails as votes and one thing the people in Trenton are good at, is counting votes. Should you have friends or relatives in other municipalities reach to them to contact their State Representatives as well.
Rich Suarez
Parsippany
