It seems like Barnegat's recent re-evaluation will be used as a smokescreen to raise everyone's taxes in Barnegat Township this year. As reported in The BarnegatPress several months ago, it is explained that the tax rate should be set at $1.29 per $100 of Assessed Home Value and anything higher would be a tax increase. To read The Barnegat Press' explanation Click here, and scroll down to "How $ 1.40 equals an extra 3 Million dollars to Barnegat Budgets!". Early in the year, Committeeman Hartman set us up for an increase to $1.40 per $100, but the Township Committee shocked everyone with an inflated $1.594 hit to the taxpayer.

Many believe the Township Committee could have -- and should have -- lowered taxes last year. This year they should have definitely lowered them for a town that has been over-taxed with little given back in services and improvements to infrastructure. Mayor Al Cirulli told the Asbury Park Press that Township officials were satisfied with the tax rate although they hoped for better. Township Administrator Breeden told the Press that the rate came back right around were it should be. What? This tax rate will hurt the people of Barnegat...our Seniors will suffer...our families will suffer while our elected officials say they are satisfied with that.

The Township Committee will blame the school system. How many of you thought you were voting for lower taxes during the last School Board election? Well you didn't. The school budget makes up the majority of the tax bill and it will be higher. But the Committee must also be held responsible for increasing taxes. Only in Barnegat with the way the local press is used for public relations and not reporting, could a tax increase be called a stable tax rate. Believe or not Administrator Breeden said "We stabilized taxes for '07." People are hurting in this town and our elected leaders and the local press just don't get it. Barnegat needs change now...in the elitist attitude of our officials and a press that doesn't report -- but simply repeats what these officials say -- unchallenged.

At DowntownBarnegat.com we try not to just point out problems when they exist, but we try to solve them. These are some of our suggestions and we welcome any of our readers to send in theirs.

• #1 - Cut fat
  What do you do with your household budget if it gets tight? You cut spending. Have an independent group of citizens look at the budget and recommend cuts. Then the Township Committee can review and discuss these proposed cuts with the public, and then trim some fat. We would start with this -- any part-time Committeeman should take health insurance from their full time employer. Granted, this would only save the taxpayer a little bit, but what a message it would send. Committeeman Hartman sent the taxpayer a bill for over $30,000 last year while not cutting a penny in taxes. Reducing the amount the taxpayer pays for his insurance is not the answer...it's not good enough. His health care cost to the taxpayer should be eliminated. And by having his full-time employer pay it, he will receive no loss in services. How many cuts like could be found...if we just took the time to look?
• #2 - Say No to Rosehill Park
  Although we would ALL love to see a new recreation area built, we cannot spend one penny on the Rosehill Park project until other existing recreational areas are updated and maintained. For example, the children of the downtown area had their playground ripped down and only a small part then replaced. Toddlers have absolutely nothing. Other parts of town have pocket parks that need updating while the children downtown have nothing. Also the Youth Center downtown was closed while our Committee expects kids to travel across town to Bayside Chapel for services. What are they thinking? How can they be so out of touch? They want kids to travel across town on little -- if any -- sidewalks. Or ride bikes in the dangerous streets to Bayside Chapel. It's time to get real, and bring back a Youth Center downtown. Much must be done...THEN...start Rosehill Park. But not one penny of taxpayer dollars should be spent until these other responsibilities are totally completed.
• #3 - Vote For Change.
  If our leaders won't respond to the taxpayer and purposely mislead and lie to the taxpayer they don't respect the taxpayer. Even if you voted for these people in the past (like many of us have), it is time to wake up and put someone else in office. We have invitied our officials to speak directly to our many readers, and they don't respect you enough to even reply. If they have no answers, then it's time for them to go.