Hopewell Borough Council, Valley school board adopt similar resolutions.
By: John Tredrea
Pennington Borough Council voted unanimously Monday night to request the State of New Jersey to convene a Constitutional Conventional to reform the property tax system.
Hopewell Borough Council, the governments of Washington, Hamilton and West Windsor townships and the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education are among groups that have adopted similar measures.
For years, many officials and residents of New Jersey have complained that property taxes are footing too much of the bill for public services, particularly education.
A Constitutional Convention "is an idea whose time has come," Mayor Jim Loper said before council voted Monday night. "It’s time to do something to reduce reliance on property taxes."
A successful effort in that regard could help senior citizens on fixed incomes who "want to continue calling Pennington their home," Councilman Robert Di Falco added.
Councilman David Garber wondered when New Jersey held its last Constitutional Convention.
"I believe it was 1947," replied Jack Mozloom, a committeeman in Washington Township, who attended Monday night’s council meeting. He asked Pennington officials to adopt a resolution urging the Legislature to call a statewide constitutional convention to reform the local levy system.
Mr. Mozloon said: "The property tax system in this state is badly out of balance and Pennington residents are at a particular disadvantage because the state is choking off municipal aid and you are limited in your ability to bring in business taxpayers … It’s going to drive out senior citizens and the middle class unless there is dramatic change."
Mr. Mozloom and Hamilton Township school board President Lambert formed a coalition earlier this year to push for reform that would eliminate the property tax as the primary source of funding for education.
At its May 6 meeting, Hopewell Borough Council adopted a resolution supporting the efforts to summon a Constitutional Convention.
At the time, Mayor George Padgett said: "The way our property taxes fund education now just doesn’t work. We’re taxing people out of their homes and the schools that need the funding don’t always get what they need."
At that session, Hamilton Township’s school board president, Kate Lambert, said: "There is bipartisan support in the Legislature for this bill that will place the question on the November ballot for consideration by the voters. We are seeking grassroots support from the municipalities in the state."
Citizens interested in supporting the convention can contact NJtaxreformconvention@hotmail.com for further information. The related legislation is Senate bill #478 and Assembly bill #454.
The Hopewell Valley school board is continuing its efforts to lobby the State of New Jersey for property tax relief. The board recently approved a resolution urging the state to place a public question on the November 2002 ballot that would call for a statewide Constitutional Convention to reform the state’s method of taxation.
According to board member Carl Swanson, "despite repeated calls for relief, New Jersey residents still pay the highest property tax rates in the nation.
"A constitutional convention would specifically focus on changing the inequitable manner in which we are now taxed to a more even-handed way that would be either revenue neutral or reduce the overall tax burden of New Jersey residents," Dr. Swanson said. "This new system of taxation must significantly reduce the need to use property taxes to fund our schools.
"State legislators and governors continue to shift revenue deficits onto property taxpayers. This creates a lot of undeserved finger pointing at local officials for tax increases," Dr. Swanson said. "This school board strongly believes elected state representatives need to tackle the issues in order to reform our current system of supporting public education."
A district spokesman said: "The district has undertaken an aggressive campaign to alert state officials that local taxpayers have heard enough about tax reform; they want to see some action.
"In addition to the most recent resolution, the board also has carried out a letter-writing campaign to encourage the state and federal government to assume a greater share of the increasing costs of special education. The costs of educating special-needs students and state-imposed budget caps that place a limit on district spending provide serious conflicts in the management of the state’s public schools.
"An earlier effort by Hopewell Valley to encourage tax relief was sent to the state earlier this year. The resolution asked for ‘Urgent Relief to the Citizens of New Jersey Arising From The Financial Burden Placed on them by the New Jersey Property Tax.’ It also urged the New Jersey Legislature to stop relying on property taxes and seek alternative means for raising funds for the free public school system."
Ruth Luse, managing editor, contributed to this account.