An ever-growing number of New Jersey towns are shamelessly shifting costs for traditional municipal services to “user fees.” It’s a deceptive way to get around the state’s new 2.0% property tax cap. It’s also a way for politicians to run for reelection claiming to not have “raised” taxes when, in fact, they did increase the cost of living (and doing business) in their respective towns.
We’re not fooled, Save Jerseyans.
Some legislators are trying to do something about it. Senate President Sweeney (D-Gloucester) is backing legislation, S-1914, to prevent certain bread and butter services like trash collection or police service from being converted from general municipal budget items to “user fee.” Another bill, this one from State Senator Anthony Bucco (R-Morris) would prevent towns from charging fees for emergency services, e.g. for an ambulance or a fire truck.
Other politicians, mostly at the municipal level (surprise surprise) see no problem with user fees. One such pol is Mayor Chris Bollwage (D-Elizabeth) who recently appeared opposite Senator Bucco on TV and defended user fees. It was an informative discussion and worth a quick watch:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7C6e6WkSCI
It’s notable how Mayor Bollwage admits expanding Elizabeth’s public workforce without implementing tax increases.
Yet his city still charges taxpayers an extra fee to use public recreational facilities?
Isn’t that a bit disingenuous? And it belies his complaints about the cap, right? Something Senator Bucco was quick to point out.
And at the end of the day, Save Jerseyans, creating or hiking fees isn’t any different than raising taxes! Such fees simply fall disproportionately on the groups engaged in the activity; for something like garbage collection, we ALL get slammed. Frankly, what the hell do taxpayers pay for in their regular tax bill if they can’t use a grass field paid for and maintained by those taxes without forking over additional monies?
I wouldn’t charge a single resident to use municipal facilities before cutting every single non-essential worker from the government payroll. The problem? Mayors and councilmen who hate the cap simply don’t like the downward pressure it places on their budgets; because of the cap, they’re forced to make politically unpopular decisions (like firing municipal employees who have friends and family in the municipal electorate). But the cap is the primary reason why New Jersey is shedding public jobs and adding private sector jobs.
We’ll be better off for it when the economy finally recovers. We’d be even better off if TRENTON started cutting its rolls, too. Trust me. Mayor Bollwage’s arugment might be more effective if he and his fellow Dems would take up that banner and help realize substantial cuts in the size and scope of government.
I think "user fees" are a great idea ..you want to use it you pay ,you don't have to burden the rest of the town tax payers that don't use it …recycling pay for a sticker otherwise you drive it to the re-center .Pre school same thing parents pay they shouldn't burden the town their baby sitting cost .After school cost same ……why should seniors be burdened with Todd and Missy's athletic cost . Am I wrong ?
The next time I read a blog, Hopefully it does not disappoint me as much as
this one. After all, I know it was my choice to read,
however I really thought you'd have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something that you could possibly fix if you weren't too busy looking for attention.
The New Jersey Mayors need to stand up to Governor Christie and say Bleep You we need to raise our city taxes and are going to do so. User fees are needed to cover services. These fees are all because of this nonsense tax cut stuff imposed by Governor Christie
The problem is that it's a way for municipalities to raise taxes without actually raising taxes above the cap. If taxpayers are compelled to pay separate "user fees" for ambulance services, garbage collection, soccer fields, etc., then what the hell are we paying for in our regular tax bill?
Fees allow local leaders to avoid making hard decisions, like getting tough during municipal contract negotiations or, if revenue dips, laying off municipal employees and/or sharing services. Glad there seems to be a growing consensus in Trenton.
Taxpayers KEEPING their money isn't the problem. Record spending is the problem! Imagine what we could accomplish on the home front if Trenton's budget was 5, 10 or 15 billion lighter? We'd still be spending more per person than PA which is a much bigger state.
Sorry, no refunds.