A reader submitted the following question to the TLS Ask The Mayor Column:
Dear Mr Mayor
Why is it that our taxes are going up so much.
My mom’s home was built by my parents over 60 yrs ago . My family started our current street that we live on. Why should we be responsible for the over populated areas or the big homes with multiple families and welfare that’s being used in these homes? I’m sorry they wanted these big homes and all the schools. Then they need to be responsible for them. I have nothing against any of them. I just think we shouldn’t be responsible for their big homes or schools or the over population. Again I have nothing against anyone I just think it’s only fair.
Thank You
Response from Mayor Coles:
Good morning,
I’m not sure where you’re getting your information , but I think it is flawed.
The overwhelming majority of property taxes in town are paid by the Orthodox Community. The very large houses you mention pay much higher taxes than the smaller homes that you & I live in. I am not sure where “welfare” comes into the picture. Many families of all backgrounds in town receive some type of assistance from the state or federal government, but that is income-based and does not affect our property tax rate. I doubt that many of the folks who own these homes would qualify for assistance. You and I are probably recipients of the Senior Stay program, which uses state funds to lower our property tax bill but does not take any funds from the township.
As for schools, they are private organizations. If the 50,000-plus children who utilize them were to suddenly switch to public schools, tax bills would explode for all of us. They do a wonderful job educating those children but do not receive tax dollars from the township or the Board of Education, other than the state-mandated programs such as busing, school nurses, therapists, and secular textbooks.
I’m not sure why you feel you’re being held responsible for them. We are all ultimately responsible for ourselves and our actions. As residents of Lakewood, we should look out for each other and help out where and when we can .
Take Care,
Ray
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The questioners information is flawed, but why in fact does property tax going up so much.
The Mayor’s response had more to do with Bashing the Questioner’s possible antisemitism -definitely needed to be addressed but maybe the question was in fact a benign curiosity of why his taxes are going up because of the overdevelopment in this town. Obviously the mayor needed to quash any sense of responsibility for the increase on Frum people simply being but he should’ve at least answered the question too.
Because,
Here’s the deal township services in Lakewood haven’t changed in years. Most of the money spent in Lakewood is from external sources such as this very forum has pointed out numerous times -every time someone asks why is the nine doing this why are they doing that on the 70 or county line rd-
If we’re being honest here we’ll see that Lakewood overpays property taxes for what they get.
Most of the revenue from property taxes is spent on public schools -constitutional requirement- but here’s the deal the vast majority of the children in Lakewood don’t use the public schools, so why do they spend money like every kid in the Cheder -and all other Chadorim- are each enrolled multiple times over?
As an aside there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON the trash of any commercial property be it for profit or non profit gets picked up by the township. That in itself is costing local taxpayers MILLIONS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR.
Well, said Mr. Mayor!
Well said Mayor Coles. Thank you for responding with clarity and unbiased information. I hope more people look into/past the catchy tropes for the truth.
I haven’t yet to see a response so spot on by the Mayor!