Everyone's invited. If a new 'revolt' group sticks to its goals, residents could see long-term shrinkage in their bills.
Gloucester Township, one of New Jersey's 20 largest-population municipalities, has only one Burger King. But all 64,000 residents probably exclaimed "Home of the Whopper!" when they opened their property tax bills this summer.
The average year-to-year increase is more than $500, encompassing significant boosts in municipal, local school, regional school and county taxes.
No matter how you cut it, $500 is a big bite. For middle class families, it's about six months worth of weekly family meals ($20) at Burger King. For lower-income people, $500 could mean being late with a mortgage payment or utility bill, or cutting back on medication.
Township officials say a "perfect storm" of factors caused increases to converge this year. Some fed up property owners counter that it's a perfect opportunity to launch a tax revolt group.
More power to them. It's a bad thing when a huge tax increase happens anywhere, but it's nice to see people shaken out of apathy to vow to examine the budgets of various taxing authorities with a fine-tooth comb.
Gloucester Township Tax Revolt organizers say that's their goal. The group reportedly got its start after more than 250 people turned out at a July 25 township council meeting to complain about a 12 percent increase in the municipal levy alone. Organizers say they got few good answers at the council meeting.
Peter Heinbaugh, the revolt's most visible spokesperson, says the group intends to be non-partisan. He promises that its next meeting, at 7 p.m Sept. 21 in the township's Knights of Columbus hall, will be productive, not just a "rally where everyone vents."
One possible way to reduce costs, says Heinbaugh, a retired accountant, is to reduce the township's six fire districts - little fiefdoms with their own taxing authority -- down to a single one.
While the revolt group can accomplish more by avoiding party politics, it's not necessarily a bad thing if the movement spawns a candidacy or two later on.
Gloucester Township Business Administrator Tom Cardis explains that the largest municipal tax factor is that the township wasn't reimbursed for $1.8 million it spent to clean up after the severe June 2015 storm. Once the aid comes in, the shortfall won't be repeated in 2017, he says. Of course, that's when longtime Mayor David Mayer and an all-Democrat council face re-election. Raise your hand if you think township taxes will head downward next year.
Would consistency be better than a seesaw mentality that ensures that taxes go up in non-election years and down when incumbents inhabit the ballot? It's something for Heinbach and company to ponder. What have we heard about this from 4th District Democrat state lawmakers who serve the district, including Assemblywoman Gabriela Mosquera, Mayer's one-time mayoral assistant?
It shouldn't take an enormous tax increase to get people interested in how their money is spent. Yet, when families are already over-scheduled with their kids, and the media don't watch local government as closely as before, President McKinley (his portrait was on the discontinued $500 bill) is as good a reason as any to get involved.
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