Category: NORTH JERSEY

Guest Opinion: American Dream Mall Fail to Pay Back Taxpayers

submitted by NJ Sierra Club

It has been 3 months since the grand opening of the American Dream Mall and towns are still waiting to be paid. In East Rutherford, where American Dream is located, officials said the mall owes $1 million in payments for last year, and an anticipated $2 million in payments in 2020 that are outstanding. For nearby Carlstadt and Secaucus, the missing payments amount to $750,000 and $100,000, respectively.

“The cost to build the American Dream mall has reached a historical price tag for both our wallets and the environment’s.  The mega mall is too costly to build and too costly to visit. From riding its thrilling rides to food costs to parking, a daily visit is very expensive. New Jersey taxpayers had to pay over $1billion to subsidize this monstrosity of a mall and now its customers are being charged even more to enjoy it. What’s even worse is that the mall still owes taxpayers millions of dollars for their mega mall. The mall has taken all of this public money without paying them back while the public still can’t afford to go there,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

It has taken 17 years to build and billions of dollars from subsidies, tax breaks, and tax incremental financing. The price tag for the mall has reached historical lengths and unfortunately the cost to its customers are seeing high price tags too. The American Dream/Xanadu mega-mall is the largest public subsidized development project in state history.  The project received $350 million in direct state subsidies from EDA plus another $800 million for financing including $100 million for road improvements, bringing it up to $1.5 billion project.

“The American Scheme mega-mall has been the largest corporate subsidy in the state’s history. What’s even worse is that they have failed to pay back East Rutherford and other cities who are proposing to use taxpayer money for school improvements,”

said Tittel.

“If paying $24 for parking wasn’t enough, a daily price to ride American Dream rides will be $80 soon. Combined, that’s more than a season pass at Six Flags and just $5 shy for a daily pass to Disney World. The people who work at the American Dream Mall making $11/hr. cannot afford to go there. To spend a full day at the park could take a full week’s wages.”

The mall is an estimated 3 million square feet with more than half of that allotted to entertainment and the other 45% of the space will be for retail. There are 11,000 parking spaces and they share 22,000 with MetLife stadium on non-event days.

“There is no real traffic program for the bus or train services that are reliable, instead the mall will be car dependent. The project, which comprises 7.1 million square feet of office and commercial space, in order to be successful, it will need to generate around 120,000 to 150,000 cars a day, gridlocking Bergen County with traffic. Everyday traffic will be like game day at Giants Stadium,”

said  Tittel.

“The Murphy Administration have been trying to fix traffic problems by proposing a rail plan that will cost $1-$2 billion while NJ Transit is crumbling. That money could have been used to finish the Bergen-Hudson Rail, or important improvements for NJ Transit. Why should we be paying for a rail to a private male. They created the problem, why should NJ taxpayers pay to fix it?”

The American Dream/Xanadu mall sits partly on wetlands in an environmentally sensitive area prone to flooding. Meadowlands resources are important for flood control, fisheries, and migratory birds.

“We have been fighting this mega mall for over 20 years because it is too large, it’s in an environmentally sensitive area, and will cause a lot of pollution and traffic. The American Dream/Xanadu site flooded during Hurricane Sandy. The mall’s water park is built on top of wetlands, which means increasingly vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise and storm surges. Studies have shown the entire area will end up under 3 feet of water. The EPA and Fish & Wildlife under President George W. Bush opposed the project because of environmental impacts on clean air and water, and wildlife,”

said Tittel.

“Overdeveloping the Meadowlands will not only put more people in danger of flooding, but will actually impact wetlands and the fragile ecosystems.”

Governor Murphy believes this project has provided New Jersey residents with extraordinary opportunities for good-paying construction and building jobs, as well as opportunities for New Jersey’s business owners.

“The billions of dollars for American Dream could’ve been used for building schools and colleges, taking lead out of our drinking water, or cleaning up our toxic sites. Instead, this private enterprise is a one- two punch to our wallets, the billions it took to build it and the high price tag to enjoy its amenities. The American Dream mall shows everything that is wrong about New Jersey.  We don’t know what will be worse, it the American Dream succeeds, we will see all of the pollution from the traffic coming to the mall plus possible gridlock it would cause to commuters. If it would fail, it wastes billions of taxpayer dollars,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

NJ Residents Named to Coastal Carolina University Dean\’s List

CONWAY, SC (01/22/2020)– More than 2,400 Coastal Carolina University students were named to the Dean\’s List for the Fall 2019 semester. That\’s nearly 20 percent of the student body with a grade point average between 3.5-3.99 for the spring semester.

An additional 802 students were named to the President\’s List for achieving a 4.0 GPA during the spring semester.

Among the students earning recognition on the Dean\’s List:

Lisa Baker a Hospitality Resort and Tourism Management Pre-Major major from Sicklerville, NJ (08081).

Ryan Barley a Marketing Pre-Major major from Mt. Laurel, NJ (08054).

Sarah Bartholomew a English major from Medford, NJ (08055).

Madison Chaparro a Communication major from Belmar, NJ (07719).

Gianna Conway a Computer Science-Preengineering major from Sicklerville, NJ (08081).

Hailey Cornell a Music major from Hammonton, NJ (08037).

Julia Dipietro a Finance major from Ocean City, NJ (08226).

Ryan Fleagle a Management major from Sicklerville, NJ (08081).

Sean Forte a English major from Wrightstown, NJ (08562).

Kyle Franks a Management major from Eastampton, NJ (08060).

Catherine Hans a Special Education Multi-Categorical Premajor major from Clarksboro, NJ (08020).

Brianna Heller a Hospitality Resort and Tourism Management Pre-Major major from Vincentown, NJ (08088).

Cassie Hesson a Finance Pre-Major major from Burlington, NJ (08016).

Shannon Hossler a Communication major from Cinnaminson, NJ (08077).

Naomi Kellmyer a Hospitality Resort and Tourism Management Pre-Major major from Bridgeton, NJ (08302).

Stephen Kirkwood a Biology major from Mount Laurel, NJ (08054).

Clorissa Kutney a Accounting Pre-Major major from Pennsville, NJ (08070).

Morgan Labbree a Communication major from Woodbury, NJ (08096).

Meredith LaLumia a Marine Science major from Moorestown, NJ (08057).

Ilyssa Liberto a Biology major from Sewell, NJ (08080).

Jake Maxwell a Special Education Multi-Categorical Premajor major from Estell Manor, NJ (08319).

Haley Molloy a Psychology major from Mount Laurel, NJ (08054).

James Moore a Management Pre-Major major from Magnolia, NJ (08049).

Carter Nelson a Art History major from Monroeville, NJ (08343).

Jensen Newsome a Elementary Education major from Pennsville, NJ (08070).

Amanda O\’Donnell a Public Health major from Somers Point, NJ (08244).

Courtney Olson a Exercise and Sport Science major from Galloway, NJ (08205).

Caitlyn Porter a Hospitality Resort and Tourism Management major from Berlin, NJ (08009).

Bianca Ramsey a Exercise and Sport Science major from Woolwich Township, NJ (08085).

Jada Robinson a Management Pre-Major major from Medford, NJ (08055).

Kaitlyn Sanderson a Biology major from Sicklerville, NJ (08081).

Jack Sandone a Political Science major from Glendora, NJ (08029).

Hannah Silverman a Exercise and Sport Science major from Erial, NJ (08081).

Mikayla Smith a Communication major from Moorestown, NJ (08057).

Juliana Stahl a Hospitality Resort and Tourism Management Pre-Major major from Bordentown, NJ (08505).

Erica Stratten a Exercise and Sport Science major from Ocean View, NJ (08230).

Mia Sudell a Management Pre-Major major from Woolwich, NJ (08085).

Alyssa Woolverton a Biology major from Columbus, NJ (08022).

Coastal Carolina University is a dynamic, public comprehensive liberal arts institution located in Conway, just minutes from the resort area of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Coastal Carolina University offers baccalaureate degrees in 73 major fields of study. Among CCU\’s 25 graduate-level programs are 21 master\’s degrees, two educational specialist degrees, and the doctorates in education and marine science: coastal and marine systems science. The most popular undergraduate majors are marine science, management, exercise and sport science, communication and psychology. CCU boasts a growing array of internship, research and international opportunities for students, as well as numerous online programs through Coastal Online.

More than 10,600 students from across the country and around the world interact with a world-class faculty, and enjoy a nationally competitive NCAA I athletic program, an inspiring cultural calendar, and a tradition of community interaction that is fueled by more than 160 student clubs and organizations.

Coastal Carolina University was founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College and became an independent state university in 1993.

For more information, visit

coastal.edu

.

Few Cancer Patients Enroll in Potentially Life-Extending Clinical Trials

Newswise — Patient enrollment in clinical trials as the first course of treatment after

cancer diagnosis is low, despite the fact that enrollment may increase life expectancy, according to researchers at Penn State. They also found that white males with private health insurance and metastatic cancers treated at academic medical centers are more likely than other groups to enroll in clinical trials.

Dr. Nicholas G. Zaorsky, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Penn State College of Medicine, led a team of Penn State Cancer Institute researchers who analyzed data from more than 12 million patients with 46 different types of cancer between 2004 and 2015 in the National Cancer Database. They found that only 11,576 (0.1%) of those patients were enrolled in clinical trials as their first course of therapy following diagnosis.

According to Dr. Niraj J. Gusani, professor of surgery at the College of Medicine and senior author of the study published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the low enrollment is troubling because clinical trials may be beneficial for patients.

“Major advances in cancer treatment have been supported by clinical trials,” Gusani said. “By volunteering to participate in a trial, patients may help further the field of research and gain access to new treatments.”

Zaorsky, Gusani and their team found that patients with cancer treated in clinical trials, when matched and compared to similar patients not treated on trials, lived longer. They report that patients with cancer in clinical trials at the first course of therapy had a median survival of seven and half months more than those not enrolled in a trial.

According to Zaorsky, previous evaluations of whether clinical trials improved survival compared patients who were enrolled in trials against those not enrolled in trials —  but didn’t account for factors like age, race, gender and cancer type.

The researchers performed a stratified analysis in which they matched each patient who participated in a clinical trial with another patient who was not enrolled in a trial that had ten similar characteristics —  including cancer type, age, race, insurance type, disease stage, and whether or not surgery or chemotherapy were part of the treatment plan.

“If you’re going to evaluate whether clinical trial enrollment is beneficial for patients, you have to try and match each patient to someone who has a similar cancer and sociodemographic profile,” Zaorsky said. “Otherwise, it is like comparing apples to oranges.”

While the survival trend was evident across cancer types, the researchers said that this may not necessarily be true for the general population. In their analysis, they determined that the patients who enrolled in clinical trials at first course of therapy tended to be white males with private insurance, metastatic disease, who had no other chronic medical conditions and were treated at academic medical centers.

“If clinical trials are going to be used to determine standards of care for the general population, then the study participants need to be representative of the general population — and this study shows that often this isn’t the case,” Gusani said.

According to Zaorsky, increasing patient enrollment in clinical trials cannot happen without first improving the infrastructure of clinical trial design and management. Patients may not live close to locations where clinical trials are offered. Even if they are in close proximity to a center offering clinical trials, the trials may not be for their type or stage of cancer.

Gusani suggests that the biggest barrier to clinical trial enrollment is the stigma around them. Patients may feel they are ‘guinea pigs’ in experiments and that they are receiving substandard care. In reality, trials emphasize patient safety at every stage and are carefully regulated and monitored by institutional review boards.

“The increased level of quality control in clinical trials may be beneficial for patients,” Zaorsky said. “Patients who go onto a clinical trial must be treated

per protocol

, meaning that there are many quality measures that must be met, and that there are many other health care providers looking over the patient’s care.”

Officer Down: Police Officer Katie Thyne Dragged by a Vehicle Pinned Against a Tree

Police Officer Katie Thyne

Newport News Police Department, Virginia

End of Watch

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Police Officer Katie Thyne, age 24, died after being dragged by a vehicle while conducting an investigation.

Police Officer Thyne and her partner were investigating reports of drug activity when they approached a car along the 1400 block of 16th Street in Newport News. During the investigation, the driver sped off, dragging Police Officer Thyne for a block. The vehicle struck a tree, and Officer Thyne was pinned between the tree and the vehicle door.

Police Officer Thyne was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where she died from her injuries.

The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody and charged with felony homicide, evading and eluding, and possession of narcotics.

Police Officer Thyne served with the Newport News Police Department for approximately one year and had previously served with the United States Navy.

Police Officer Thyne is survived by her two-year-old daughter.

RELATED:

Via

Officer Down Memorial page

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CNBNews Point of View

BREAKING NEWS

published Gloucestercitynews.net | January 24, 2020

Students from NJ named to President\’s List at Clemson University

CLEMSON, SC (01/23/2020)– Local students were named to the fall 2019 President\’s List at Clemson University.

They are:

Marlisa Dyan Bongiovanni of Somers Point, whose major is Biological Sciences

Sarah Marie Connors of Moorestown, whose major is Marketing

Samantha Catherine Cozzi of Sewell, whose major is Architecture

Patrick H. Cusack of Marmora, whose major is Biosystems Engineering

Joseph Andrew DeSimone III of Mullica Hill, whose major is Biological Sciences

Kayla M. Farquhar of Audubon, whose major is Nursing

Abigale O. Farrow of Mantua, whose major is Special Education

Tanner Michael James of Ocean City, whose major is Biological Sciences

Madeline Louise Jones of Cherry Hill, whose major is Elementary Education

Bridget Patricia Kane of Haddonfield, whose major is Marketing

Tsagan-Zul Natalie Kutinow of Delanco, whose major is Management

Jake Robert Liguori of Marlton, whose major is Computer Science

Natalie Claire Mccrudden of Haddonfield, whose major is Marketing

Trevor Reese Montgomery of Mount Laurel, whose major is General Engineering

Ryan Penner of Moorestown, whose major is Industrial Engineering

Kelsey Alaina Piatkowski of Sicklerville, whose major is Biological Sciences

Lindsay Michelle Prickett of Rosenhayn, whose major is Political Science

Thomas W. Schneider of Moorestown, whose major is Financial Management

Ryan Harish Sehdev of Haddonfield, whose major is Economics

Anne Elizabeth Skiles of Haddonfield, whose major is Psychology

Rachel Elizabeth Wade of Cape May Court House, whose major is Food Science and Human Nutrition

To be named to the President\’s List, a student must achieve a 4.0 (all As) grade-point average.

Maple Shade Township PD Alert: Coastal Flood Advisory until 12:00PM Saturday

* WHAT…Up to one foot of inundation above ground level expected in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways.

* WHERE…Cumberland, Atlantic, Cape May, Atlantic Coastal Cape May, Coastal Atlantic and Southeastern Burlington.

* WHEN…From 6 AM to noon EST Saturday.

* IMPACTS…In Atlantic County, minor roadway flooding is possible in Atlantic City, Absecon, Ventnor, and nearby communities. In Cape May County, minor roadway flooding is possible in Wildwood, Cape May, Avalon, and other locations along the shore and the Delaware Bay shoreline. In Cumberland County, minor roadway flooding is possible in Fortescue, Money Island, Gandys Beach and other locations near the Delaware Bay shoreline. Minor roadway flooding is possible on the barrier islands and along the back bays of Ocean County, and in tidal areas of southeastern Burlington County.

* AFFECTED AREAS: ATLANTIC … CAPE MAY … ATLANTIC CO ASTAL CAPE MAY … CUMBERLAND … COASTAL ATLANTIC … SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON

Instructions:

A Coastal Flood Advisory means that minor tidal flooding is expected. Minor tidal flooding often results in some road closures. Usually, the most vulnerable roadways will flood. Do not leave your vehicle at a location that is prone to tidal flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flood waters. The water may be deeper than you think it is. You will be putting yourself in danger and your vehicle may be damaged, leading to costly repairs. Visit the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at

water.weather.gov/ahps

for additional water level and flood impact information for your local tide gauge.

Address/Location

Maple Shade Township Police Department

200 N Stiles Ave

Maple Shade Township, NJ 08052

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-234-8300

TONIGHT : Route 42 northbound Exit 1B ramp to I-295 northbound to be closed and detoured

Closures necessary for guiderail repairs and drainage inspection

(Trenton)

– New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced the overnight closure and detour of Route 42 northbound Exit 1B to I-295 northbound tonight for construction barrier repairs and a drainage culvert inspection.

Beginning at 9 p.m. tonight, Friday, January 24 until 8 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, January 25, NJDOT contractor, Conti Enterprises, Inc., is scheduled to close and detour Route 42 northbound Exit 1B to I-295 northbound to allow crews to repair construction barrier and inspect a drainage culvert.  The following signed detour will be in place overnight:

Route 42 northbound Exit 1B ramp to I-295 northbound detour:

Motorists traveling on Route 42 northbound will be directed to continue onto I-76 westbound

Take I-76 westbound to Exit 2/I-676 northbound

Take I-676 northbound to Exit 1/Collings Road

Turn right onto Collings Road

Turn left onto I-676 southbound which becomes I-76 eastbound

Take I-76 eastbound to Exit 1B/I-295 northbound

The work is part of the $900 million Direct Connection project that will provide a seamless route for I-295 motorists traveling through the interchange of I-295, I-76, and Route 42. The Direct Connection project has been divided into four separate construction contracts, with completion of the fourth and final contract expected in the fall of 2024. NJDOT\’s project website provides

construction activity schedules and updates

.

Variable message signs are being utilized throughout the project limits to provide advance notification to motorists of traffic pattern changes associated with Direct Connection.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT\’s traffic information website

www.511nj.org

for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter

@NJDOT_info

or on the

NJDOT Facebook page

.

Future of the Pinelands Program Uncertain

Today the Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) released its 13

th

annual

State of the Pinelands Report

.  The report rates how specific actions of state and local government have helped or harmed the Pinelands during

2019.

The year 2019 marked the 40

th

anniversary of the landmark Pinelands Protection Act and the establishment of the Pinelands Commission.  The central achievements of the Pinelands Commission and the Act are strong.  Over its 40-year history, this agency has been able to withstand efforts to weaken or abolish the plan to protect the Pinelands.

Nevertheless, political and economic pressure are wearing away at the Pinelands Commission’s commitment to protect the Pine Barrens.  There is a danger that the rules we all fought so hard to implement will become brittle and break away as the plan is weakened by political manipulation of the rules to benefit specific developments.

While this year brought a major victory for the Pinelands in the defeat of the South Jersey Gas pipeline, the Pinelands Commission has not advanced any of the policy reforms the Commission itself identified several years ago to ensure the long-term protection of Pinelands resources.

Just as bad, the Commission’s handling of pipeline applications over the past six years revealed major holes in its procedures, which it has refused to fix.

Even pipeline projects that have been defeated live on at the Pinelands Commission!

The Commission failed to pass a resolution withdrawing their approval of the South Jersey Gas pipeline at their January 10, 2020 meeting, even after the Appeals Court officially remanded the matter back to the Commission with directions to reconsider the approval in light of the changed facts.

At the same time, the Commission is trying to eliminate fundamental public appeal rights built into every part of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) since it was first adopted in 1980.  And the Commission only encouraged the New Jersey Natural Gas pipeline (the so-called Southern Reliability Link) despite the plain language and intent of the CMP and the risks this totally unneeded project brings to the people living, learning and working along its path.

Just as troubling for the future of the Pinelands National Reserve is the fact that the New Jersey Senate held up the confirmation of the governor’s nomination of four vital Pinelands Commission members for a year.  The nomination process must now start over since they expired at the end of the last legislative session (January 14, 2020).

“The Senate’s failure to confirm Pinelands Commission nominees places vulnerable and critical resources of water, forest and wildlife at risk, as the Commission has essentially ceased to function without these new members. There is no valid reason for the Pinelands to be left without enough active Commissioners to achieve its mission,” says Jaclyn Rhoads, assistant executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. “In recent months the Pinelands Commission has not even been able to muster enough members at its meetings to vote on matters large and small.”

On the plus side, the Commission took a small but important step in addressing climate change by forming the Land Use, Climate Impacts and Sustainability committee.  The Commission also opened the new Candace McKee Ashmun Education Center at their offices in Pemberton with exhibits that highlight the natural and cultural treasures of the Pinelands.  The education center is named after one of the greatest environmental heroes of Pinelands protection, Candy Ashmun, who is the last original Pinelands Commissioner still serving.

In 2019, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) worked to address stormwater pollution with efforts to bolster the use of green infrastructure and provide guidance for local governments to establish stormwater utilities.  However, the DEP has not yet adopted clear and decisive measures to solve the critical issue of illegal Off-Road Vehicle use that continues damage land throughout the Pinelands.

This year’s report recognized the great work of municipalities like Hammonton and Evesham who installed green infrastructure projects to capture stormwater and allow it to infiltrate into the ground.  Long Beach, Ventnor, Beach Haven and Brick took action to protect their environment by participating in coastal resiliency projects to improve dune habitat.  The Pinelands Preservation Alliance and the Raritan Valley Community College coordinated these projects.

For the first time ever a media organization received a thumbs-up in the State of the Pinelands Report.  The investigative reporters at the Burlington County Times have covered the PFAS drinking water contamination issue meticulously. PFAS are a family of chemical compounds that have been found in drinking water in the Pinelands, especially on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.  They can have adverse effects on humans and wildlife.

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The 2020 State of the Pinelands Report is available online at

www.PinelandsAlliance.org

. A full-color copy of the report can be obtained by visiting the Alliance at its headquarters located at 17 Pemberton Rd, Southampton NJ 08088.  For more information, please call 609-859-8860.

The Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) was established as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 1989 by environmental leaders and Pinelands residents, with the goal of preserving and protecting the more than 1 million acres of the New Jersey Pinelands.   PPA remains the only private organization dedicated solely to environmental protection throughout the Pinelands.

Demand for Pet Blood

As a result of recent advancements in veterinary medicine and owners increasingly willing to spend more money on care for the family pet, the

demand for pet blood

has increased; however, pet blood supplies around the country continues to fall short. In fact, many veterinarians today rely on out-of-state blood banks that often have an extremely limited supply.

January is

National Blood Donor Month

, which makes it a perfect time to bring awareness to the importance and benefits of pet blood banks.

BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital

has

eight pet blood banks

across the country that are helping to treat heart disease, heat stroke, immune system conditions, kidney disease or injury, acute trauma, poisoning and more in pets. BluePearl also works with

Canine Blood Heroes

, a national system of local canine blood donation programs, in Phoenix and Kansas City to provide local pet owners and veterinarians with access to safe canine blood.

\”Dogs and cats require blood transfusions for many of the same reasons humans do: illness, injury, or surgery,” remarked Dee Ann Dugger, Senior Clinician, Head of Emergency Service, Blood Bank Director at BluePearl Pet Hospital in Tampa, Fla. “However, with only a handful of banks nationally, getting safe blood to a pet who is in immediate need is a challenge. Right now, we, as a veterinary community, are not producing enough blood for veterinarians around the country. We simply need more donors.”

Similar to humans, cats and dogs have different blood types; felines have three different feline-specific blood types, and canines have six. While pet donor requirements and screening can vary slightly by state and program, the need for pet blood supplies is constant.

To donate, dogs must be one to seven years old, healthy, up-to-date on vaccines and weigh more than 50 pounds. Canine blood, specifically, is not breed specific, but greyhounds are known for being universal donors. Conversely, cats must weigh more than 10 pounds, live indoors, and be two to seven years old. Cats must also test negative for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus, and have not previously bred or received a blood transfusion.

RELATED:

Pet Tips

Pets Are The Best

PROPERTY TAX INCREASE BLOCKED IN NEW JERSEY

source

KE ANDREWS

New Jersey school districts were about to raise funds by raising property taxes, but the governor blocked it. The districts will have to find another way to compensate for the cuts that have taken place to state funding. When vetoing the bill, the governor made a statement that taxes on the wealthy should be raised to pay for schools, instead of asking middle-class taxpayers to pay more. Some districts have lost state aid, due to changes to the formula for school property tax funding.

CNBNEWS GRAPHIC FILES

If the measure would have passed without veto, it would have allowed school districts to exceed the two-percent cap on New Jersey property tax increases that were previously set. But Governor Murphy made it clear that he would not support the development of another way to exceed the cap, especially when it increases the burden of property tax and harms voters. The current school funding formula for the state tells voters how much every district should be spending, how much comes from the state, and how much should be generated from property taxes.

The funding formula has been in overhaul mode for years, and those changes have been controversial. The goal of the changes has been to shift state aid away from overfunded districts and to districts that are not funded as well. But at the same time, hundreds of millions more are being put into schools every year, and every district should get 100 percent of what is owed to them. There are 172 districts that will lose state aid, because they have been getting more than the current formula states that they need.

For the last seven years, there have been other districts that are losing money and not receiving enough funding. Programs reductions, budget cuts, and layoffs are part of the future for those districts, if changes to the distribution of state education funds are not made. By exceeding the two-percent property tax cap, these schools could get more funding and reduce their chances of ongoing financial problems. There would have been 40 districts that qualified for the changes. Still, the governor vetoed the bill and strongly suggested that districts find another way to address the issues. The goal is to avoid increasing how much families pay in property taxes, and it is a decision that should be taken seriously.

The governor continues to propose raising the tax on wealthy people, but defenders of the original bill argue that none of the money from an increase on wealthy people’s taxes would actually go to the districts that need the funding. According to the New Jersey School Board Association, the governor is also mistaking the bill’s actual effects. That Association states that the bill was thought out carefully, and would have helped school districts without causing the significant and unrestricted increases in property taxes the governor implied.

KE Andrews: Property Tax Consultants