While most residents generally oppose higher taxes and spending, little is done to stop this proliferation of spending at the local level.
Local Republicans have controlled the reigns of local government for five years, yet property taxes and municipal spending continue to increase at disturbing levels.
In fact a Republican victory this November would wipeout two-party representation and leave North Arlington with a Republican Mayor and six Republican Council members.
Most residents prefer a healthy mix of Democrats and Republicans working in unison to give residents responsible, two-party government that is not controlled by any single individual or entity.
The three Republicans seeking seats on the Borough Council have no practical governmental experience except for the appointed incumbent, who was rejected by voters in 2011 and past record of public service demonstrated strong support for the failed EnCap housing scheme that would have left North Arlington mired in low income housing units and millions in new local spending to accommodate the some 1,500 units that were proposed.
The plan eventually collapsed under its own weight and then “developer” Donald Trump tried to resuscitate the unpopular proposal that was met with strong opposition by then Mayor Peter Massa and former councilman Steve Tanelli, now a two-term Bergen County freeholder. Others such as former council members Al Granell stopped the project as did current Councilman Mark Yampaglia who changed his position on the project to stop it from destroying North Arlington’s small town charm and the attempt to transform North Arlington from a small suburban community into an extension of Kearny or Harrison in Hudson County.
North Arlington has had some limited success on Porete Avenue and the advent of the Federal Express project was a bipartisan initiative by Massa and the late Joseph Bianchi, who brought the project to reality before his untimely passing last October.
Mayor Joe always placed North Arlington first and had no issue working collectively with Democrats to get things done.
That was a good example of Democrats and Republicans working together for the common community good!
But North Arlington still has a revenue issue that needs to be addressed and resolved.
The Archdiocese of Newark remains the largest land owner in the community with over 200,000 buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, but pays no taxes.
Many services are needed to ensure the facility runs smoothly and Holy Cross has been a great neighbor to the community for decades.
But the cost to run North Arlington has exploded and the burden on homeowners continues to be a heavy lift for seniors and others who see their property taxes now exceeding $10,000 annually.
The cost to operate our public schools has also increased and the acquisition of the QPHS property will continue to increase school taxes which now represent in some cases more than 50% of the overall property tax bill.
Questions remain unanswered to the new cost of this property acquisition and rolling reassessments have done little, if nothing at all to stabilize the tax burden to homeowners.
So the question remains, why is spending not held in check?
What expenditures cannot be controlled?
Is it pension and healthcare costs?
Is it increasing salaries and promotions?
Is it short-term and long-term debt and just what is the level of debt being carried by these annual operating budgets?
These are questions that seem to go unaddressed and in some cases completely ignored, yet we have these local Republicans who claim to be fiscal conservatives, but we can’t point to a single example of trying to control taxes and spending in serious fashion.
What recommendations are being made in municipal audits and what can be done to stabilize local property taxes in North Arlington?
These are questions rarely asked or even muttered at council meetings as spending and the cost to operate this community of a mile-square becomes prohibitive and costly to homeowners.
Everyone loves North Arlington and there is much to be proud.
But there are some structural deficiencies from a cost standpoint that need to be discussed and how does North Arlington address the issue of new revenues in wake of the rising costs to maintain services and a belief that NA can still remain small, safe and suburban?
Hopefully these issues can be seriously discussed and a path can be blazed so that North Arlington’s future remains bright for years to come.