Tax Exempts Are Killing Trenton

I have spent most of this past week sorting through the mayoral and council candidates we interviewed over the past several weeks. The elephant in the room is the huge deficit facing the Capital city of New Jersey. Now that everyone has pulled back for the weekend's frontal assault on voters, the monster looming out of the dust is that shortfall. The tax burden on the residents of Trenton is just unforgivable.

Of all the total nonprofit tax exempt assets in Mercer County, over 70 % lie in the City of Trenton. That is seventy percent of assorted nonprofits, including the Catholic Diocese of Trenton, houses converted into churches, central offices for everything from the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, Inc. to the Woodmen of the World Omaha Woodmen Life Insurance Society,(really), and incidentally includes all the offices and legislative functions of the State of New Jersey Capital.

Phew!

In another day, we enjoyed the prestige attached to having an office in Trenton. As the capital city we were proud of the attention and people it attracted. However, someone has to pay for the services necessary to keep all these workers safe, clean, and able to host their respective business interests, legislative functions or otherwise. This has become an enormous, lopsided burden on the taxpayers left in the city.

Senator Shirley Turner presented a gutsy bill to the Legislature that would affect the tax exempts in the City of Trenton, especially the State owned properties. I am presently trying to determine its status. If passed, it could go into effect July 1 of this year. In the meantime, the State has stepped in and clobbered this City with an unconscionable tax increase impacting the few responsible businesses and citizens that have the courage to remain here.

Call or write to Senator Turner's office and give her your support for this David vs Goliath initiative. Her phone number is 609-530-3277 or fax her with your signatures at 609-530-3292.

I could make a case for the senior citizens victims on fixed incomes being hit the hardest, but today's circumstances are the result of many years of Capital association and affect all of us.

Don't forget that Trenton goes to the polls next Tuesday.

How much more do we have to take?

Vote.