Christie throws Medford Republicans under the trash truck
Medford's all-Republican township council is asking voters in a local election today to go to the polls and approve a 25 percent tax increase in order to pay for trash pick-up and other needs. The council members, all newcomers, are facing a $6 million deficit after previous councils failed to cut spending and raise taxes, they said. Cops have already been laid off. But Christie has turned on his fellow Republicans. He says voters shouldn't give the town any more money. "This is the world we live in," Christie said. "If it's too tough for you don't run again. Let's elect some people who can actually fix the problem."
Christie throws Medford Republicans under the trash truck
Matt Katz, Inquirer Staff Writer
BEDMINSTER -- Back in 2010, Gov. Christie signed a bipartisan measure to cap annual local property tax increases at 2 percent -- with the caveat that, if necessary, a town's residents could vote for a bigger increase.
Medford's all-Republican township council is seeking to do just that, asking voters in a local election today to approve a tax increase beyond the cap. The council members, all newcomers, are facing a $6 million deficit after previous councils failed to cut spending or raise taxes, they said. Cops have already been laid off, and they warn that if the refendum fails, municipal trash pickup would go.
But Christie has turned on his fellow Republicans. He says voters shouldn't give the town any more money.
"They should vote 'no,'" Christie said at a press conference this morning held to highlight new funding for autism programs. "And if we had one of those things in Mendham Township when I voted this morning, I would have voted 'no.'"
Christie first made this recommendation to voters in a radio show last month, angering local Republicans in Medford. My colleague who covers Burlington County, Jan Hefler, reported that Councilman Jeff Beenstock emailed the governor at the time. Beenstock wrote: "I do not believe your statement last night with respect to Medford was accurate or fair, and is likely to result in people voting against the referendum without understanding the situation we are in."
Beenstock said Christie had not responded to his email.
Christie had no sympathy this morning for either the Medford Township council or elected officials in Lawrence, which is also seeking to exceed the cap today.
"This is the world we live in," Christie said. "If it's too tough for you, don't run again. Let's elect some people who can actually fix the problem."
This is all part of a larger tug of war between Christie and municipalities, which say they do not get enough money from the state to balance their budgets. Today in Trenton, mayors said at a press conference that this administration is ripping them off by keeping too much of the "energy tax receipts" levied by towns on utilities.
"The appetite to balance the state's budget literally on the backs of the towns is out of control," Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr said, according to the Star-Ledger.
More trouble for towns is looming. Christie said today he had spoken to Democratic Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) about passing a new measure to close "loopholes" in the cap law. Lawrence, for example, would issue a "user fee" if its tax hike gets voted down.
"The cap is the cap," Christie said.
Then he lobbed a threat: "And if they want to play with us, maybe we'll lower the cap."
Perhaps if the Govenor and the legislature had there financial house in order they could understand how Medford is getting it's house in order. Unfunded mandates, laws without money to pay for them, no enforcement of the laws already on the books waste fraud and abuse costing taxpayers hundreds of millions anually. The government is broken people. It is your responsibility to fix it. Don't expect, inspect. I invite the Govenor to come to Medford, our door is always open. It's called transparency sir.— Rpace- Rpace, well said. NJ has moved in the right direction but only with baby steps. The Dems control both houses and have zero interest in fixing the pension and healthcare problems much in the same way Oblama has added $5 trillion in new debt in 39 months. More debt is NOT the solution and we cant ignore these entitlements any longer.
Our issues in Medford are obvious. Read the budget presentation on the website. The prior corrupt councils spent and spent, borrowed and used budget magic. They should be in prison like the ENRON people but instead we have them in higher office. Lets hope they dont destroy the state too.
Oh, MaryAnn Obrien.....we know what you did to us and we are waiting for you to knock on our doors to explain it. If I was your Dem opponent, I would be mailing out all of your Medford Budget vote history showing the borrowing and deferred school tax use.
Here's one....
RESOLUTION 122-2009 “RESOLUTION FOR 2008 DEFERRED LOCAL SCHOOL TAXES”
Mr. Myers moved for approval of the resolution, seconded by Deputy Mayor Martin. Mayor Brown opened the meeting for public comments. There were no public comments.The motion for approval was duly made, seconded and affirmatively voted upon by all Council present.
MaryAnn voted to use $6.6 million of deferred taxes which was $3.3 million than 2008. $3.3 million more of gimmicks in one year.
FRAUD
http://www.medfordtownship.com/2012revbudgetpp.pdf
— UTR - Increasing User Fees is always used to increase dough. It's fairer because its paid by all users, rather than taxes, which comes from property taxes. Unfortunately, fees are not tax deductible.
Voters are smart. They know how profound (and unusual) it is for any Republican to request and support any tax increase. If only more Americans were freer to speak his/her mind, w/o shame. BTW: I'm a Republican.— MissV - Rpace,
you have no transparency. You and the council failed the first test of honesty. You held trash collection over everyone's head and then told us the price to keep it was double what it actually was. Who's friends' jobs did you save by charging us $344 for what costs $160?
by paying $344 we will be able to pay off our debt in 1 year. If we don't, we're going to want to know what you did with the money.— NJ_taxpayer - The increase past the 2% increase isn't just to save trash collection, I don't agree with it but saw it as necessary. That said, the corruption that has gotten Medford into this mess has STILL NOT been investigated at the state level..WHY NOT? The white collar unions of the teachers and police are raping the township and taxpayers while they refuse to renegotiate. Is it a state law that a township HAS to hire and keep union police? We will be paying the pensions of people who DO NOT contribute to their own pensions..how is that fair to a township? NJ Taxpayer is 100% correct. Come December the new township council should show the residents of Medford that they are for real and REALLY negotitate a police union contract that isn't going to bleed us dry, insist that the State investigate and prosecute the corruption that got Medford into this mess.— MikeDylan
The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do.
- Stalin— Top Cat
Reach him at mkatz@phillynews.com or 609-217-8355.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @mattkatz00. Reach Matt at mkatz@phillynews.com or 609-217-8355.
