BY SUE M. MORGAN
Staff Writer
EATONTOWN — Because he pays property taxes too, Mayor Gerald Tarantolo is trying to garner support for property tax reform — not just here, but throughout New Jersey.
However, during the Feb. 9 Borough Council meeting, Tarantolo could not rally the governing body to endorse two New Jersey State Assembly bills authorizing the organization of a constitutional convention designed to address the existing system of taxing real estate to fund municipalities and school districts.
Silence filled the council chamber when Tarantolo called for a second to the motion made by Councilman Roy Eisen in support of a borough resolution endorsing the proposed property tax reform convention.
Though visibly disappointed by the sudden muteness of the four other council members in attendance besides Eisen, the mayor carried on the meeting’s agenda.
“The motion dies for lack of a second,” Tarantolo conceded.
After adjournment, though, Tarantolo renewed his resolve to put Eatontown in the forefront of favoring property tax reform.
Council participation or not, changes must be made to the state constitution regarding the way that governments, and school systems in particular, are funded, he said.
The resolution, if passed, would have shown state legislators that Eatontown is concerned about amending the property tax system as soon as possible, Tarantolo explained.
“We would get to be pro-active,” Tarantolo said. “We’re at a crisis point with property taxes.”
The mayor said he hears constant complaints, especially from seniors on fixed incomes, that property taxes are driving them out of the borough.
It is not that he cannot understand their sentiments, said Tarantolo, who is also a retiree and onetime board of education member.
“I may be mayor, but I pay taxes just like everyone else,” Tarantolo said.
Some state legislators, including those in the Assembly, have admitted that they fear political fallout from dealing with the sore subject of property tax reform, especially if any amendments ultimately prove unpopular with constituents, Tarantolo noted.
“There are legislators that have said they don’t have the guts to take action on property tax reform,” said Tarantolo, a Democrat. “They’re afraid it will destroy their careers.”
Not taking action could be equally destructive though, he pointed out.
“We need a mechanism for change,” Tarantolo said. “Politically, [property tax reform] is a time bomb.”
For that reason, legislators are calling upon New Jersey residents, rather than other politicians, to participate in the convention, he noted.
A copy of Eatontown’s stalled resolution states that initiative.
“It is therefore essential that the citizens of New Jersey are fully engaged in the effort to restructure taxes; and whereas, the most effective way to have maximum participation is a public vote on whether or not to proceed with a tax reform process, and if this question is approved, another vote by the public to ratify the recommendations for tax reform,” the resolution states.
The proposed convention might not be the “perfect” resolution to the property tax dilemma, but it is a step toward fixing the system, Eisen said.
The Republican councilman, who has the least seniority of the six members, gave his colleagues the benefit of the doubt for letting the resolution die.
“I don’t think they were saying they don’t want property tax reform,” said Eisen, a councilman since October. “They just weren’t going to endorse the property tax convention.”
One of those colleagues, Councilman Charles DaVis, also described the property tax system as a “time bomb” in need of diffusing.
However, speaking for himself, DaVis indicated that he would like to know more about what could result from the proposed convention before endorsing it.
In particular, DaVis would like to know how a municipality such as Eatontown, which is covered by two separate school districts, its own prekindergarten-through-eighth-grade system and Monmouth Regional High School district, could be impacted by the convention’s outcome.
“I’m in favor of changing the property tax system,” DaVis said. “But I would still like to explore the issues a little more.”
“Some municipalities [send to] three school districts. Eatontown has two. Something has to be done about that,” he stressed.
The two state bills, A-5269 and ACR-25, are now under discussion by the Assembly State Government Committee, according to a copy of Eatontown’s resolution.