2018 PROPERTY TAX HIKES BY GOP HAVE NA HOMEOWNERS NERVOUS!
While Many Received a Nominal Decrease in 2017, Taxes Rise Again under local Republicans this year!
In 2016 North Arlington Democrats trounced GOP incumbents in response to rolling reassessments that saw property taxes initially increase, but property taxes stabilized somewhat and in many cases decreased in 2017 that led to an easy GOP win.
Now it looks as though property taxes are rising yet again!
Democratic mayoral hopeful and Councilman Mark Yampaglia, who campaigned against rolling reassessments in 2016 now seems to have the wind at his back as his door-to-door efforts reveal that homeowners are upset with yet another spike that all but canceled out any small savings in 2017.
“Based on the responses I’m receiving from homeowners visited, Property Taxes increased in 2016, stabilized and decreased modestly in 2017 and have again spiked in 2018. The reaction to these tax hikes has been for the most part negative. Tax relief is important to North Arlington homeowners and they believe dollars garnered from various sources should be used for stabilizing taxes and not increasing municipal spending,” noted the Democratic challenger and life-long resident.
“Tax relief is crucial for homeowners, especially seniors on fixed incomes. Their quality of life is directly impacted when taxes rise because they’re budgeted on fixed incomes and assets.”
Walking door to door with running-mates Peter Massa and Josie Papile, they believe Property Tax hikes and these rolling reassessments have homeowners confused and questioning the benefits of the GOP tax plan.
Yampaglia believes the reception Democrats are receiving is very positive and upbeat.
“North Arlington voters are blunt and straight forward when you speak with them. They are not happy with these rolling reassessments and you can see it their demeanor when they come to the door,” offered Yampaglia, a practicing attorney with an office in Rutherford.
Appointed twice and elected four times, Yampaglia believes the tax issue will be front and center this election cycle.
“I don’t think the GOP is going door to door and now we know the reason. Residents seem outraged and cheated by these peaks and valleys in their tax bills. North Arlington is not a rich community. But very blue collar and middle class. They love NA, but hate tax hikes, especially when they were never properly explained to them,” offered one NA political observer.
In a letter sent to homeowners by Mayor Joe Bianchi this summer with the tax bills and a self-promoting newsletter (click here to read Bianchi letter), Bianchi virtually dismissed the tax hike as modest and spent more time talking about his political agenda then the reason why property taxes spiked for the most past in 2018 for North Arlington.
“The letter was a terrible idea. Whoever authored it did more to hurt Mayor Bianchi then help him,” noted the same observer.
“This is why you don’t mix politics with public policy. It was a bad idea to mail tax bills with what many believe was a political agenda. To dismiss the tax hike was a huge mistake by Mayor Bianchi and those who authored that letter,” noted one former elected official who did not want to be identified.
While NA Democrats continued to campaign door to door, local Republicans have apparently yet to campaign at all this summer.
“I’m a fiscal conservative who puts taxpayers first. I have a developed a strategy to deal with the tax question both in the short and long term. My commitment to single-family home development versus the construction of multiple dwellings is a clear contrast in vision and long term thinking. I want to negotiate with the Archdiocese of Newark to build into our budgets PILOT’s (payments in lieu of taxes) that offset the tax revenue losses from hosting a cemetery that has over 200,000 occupants,” noted Yampaglia, the ranking member of the Borough’s Governing Body.
Yampaglia is calling on policies and initiatives that “stabilizes density, increases parking and controls traffic along Ridge Road and NA’s surface streets.”
“We can do better. We can work in a bipartisan way to correct these property tax spikes. I want to partner with Governor Phil Murphy and the Democratic legislature to secure that funding. Local Republicans do not have the relationships at the state level to do what I’m suggesting,” said the Democratic mayoral challenger.
Want to comment?
Contact us at [email protected]
Want to speak with Councilman Yampaglia?
Contact him at (201) 602-2612