Township Officials Have Qualms About Hike in County Tax Rate

In response to a resident’s request, Mayor Jason J. Varano has agreed to send a letter to the Ocean County Board of Freeholders regarding the proposed county tax increase.

“I can’t doubt that they are having a tough time with all the cuts in aid, but on the other hand I don’t know,” he said. “We lost $1.3 million in state aid this year. The county lost, too.”

South Seaside Park resident Don Whiteman, who made the request, told the mayor and council he was frustrated with the county’s decision to raise taxes.

The freeholders have proposed a tax increase of 0.9 cents for each $100 of assessed valuation. The hike translates into a $27 annual increase in county taxes for a home assessed at $300,000.

“I think in today’s atmosphere of people out of work and those that can’t pay their taxes… it’s about time we look inside to cut more and go with a decrease,” Whiteman said.

“The ones in charge just don’t get it,” he added. “In my eyes the Ocean County government doesn’t get it.”

Varano indicated that the council might also draft a resolution.

Councilman Nathan A. Abbe went a step further.

“We need to tell the county that .9 of a cent is too high," he said. "We [Berkeley Township] might get hit with even more than that. We’re collecting 90 percent (in property taxes) but paying out 100 percent.”

Although the hike in the tax rate proposed by the freeholders is 0.9 cents per $100, Varano said the township’s actual cost could be higher.

Abbe was even more direct.

“We should tell the county point blank it is tough times," Abbe said. "Cut it back. Cut it back to zero.”

Whiteman said he does not attend the freeholder meetings because their meetings are held too early in the day. The board meets at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays in the county administration building on Hooper Avenue in Toms River.

“That’s one of the biggest reasons," he said. "You gotta take a day off work.”

The proposed county budget is $352.7 million, up $4,731,104 from the 2010-11 budget. Taxpayers are asked for a bigger increase in the amount they will pay to support the new budget, up $6,276,286 to $293,278,750.

Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr. has attributed the proposed tax increase to:

•  The fact that property values fell $1.1 billion to $104.3 billion because of the real estate bubble;
•  The opening of the 140,000-square-foot, $55 million addition to the county jail;
•  An increase in social service spending.

For more on the county budget see the Patch story: ""

A public hearing on the county budget is set for 4 p.m. April 20.