FIGURING IT OUT – West New York residents received an estimated tax bill last week. Several residents said they were not expecting the tax increase.
Even though West New York residents were told in a public meeting last fall that taxes would rise due to the proposed $69.15 million budget, residents were surprised last week to get their estimated tax bills including the increase.
“Nobody knew that this was going to happen,” said a female West New York resident who asked not to be named. She added that she does not think that the town’s final budget will be passed without a fight from residents.
A tentative $69.15 million 2008-2009 budget was introduced at a public meeting in September. However, the town cannot pass a final budget until the town has final state aid numbers. Still, they had to send out estimated tax bills this month to collect money.
Some residents were confused last week because letters from Mayor Sal Vega sent with tax bills referred to the tax “levy” increasing by 27 percent. That does not, however, mean each resident’s bill will rise exactly 27 percent. The levy is the overall amount of taxes being collected for the budget; how much each resident pays depends on how many residents there are to share the burden. The tax rate is the more important number because it refers to the amount each person will pay per thousand dollars of property they own.
The budget covers spending from last July 1 through this June 30.
Spending has risen by $4.3 million, or 6 percent, since last year, an increase that comes from – according to town officials – rising contractual and mandatory costs such as employee salaries and benefits.
Without knowing the final state aid numbers, the town sent out tax bills based on estimates.
“Since our budget is not adopted, we sent out an estimated tax bill,” said John Mosca, a public accountant assisting West New York Chief Financial Officer Frederick Thompkins.
Mosca said that the bills needed to be sent out now so that the town has money.
“If we didn’t go out with the tax bill, we would have run out of cash,” he said.
Mosca said that the budget will probably be finalized some time in May – only a month before the next fiscal year begins.
When the budget was introduced last fall, residents had the opportunity to speak out on it, but not one resident spoke.
“The only increases that we recognize are contractural obligations on salary and wages, about 3.5 to 4 percent, and debt service,” said Mosca in November.
Last year’s overall property tax rate was $49.62 per $1,000 of property owned. That rate includes the city, county, and school rates added together. Since the final aid numbers are not in, the new tax rate has also not been determined.
Mosca said the next Board of Commissioners meeting will be held on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m.
The tax payers are paying for all of this income he is drawing on along with the pensions that he and his family will enjoy at our own expense. In turn, we are not getting what we are paying for. The Mayors' staff are all highly paid. They make more than most people make at comparable positions in the private sector for companies that have far bigger budgets and no pension plan. The Mayor blamed the former CFO for his troubles that he is now trying to pass on to the innocent tax payer. West New York Tax payers have to start attending all the Town Hall meetings (next one is March 18th) and standing up against the overspending and coruuption or we will all be financialy ruined as we watch the value of our property go down and our taxes continue to rise. This town does not offer the services that warrant the taxes. None of us will be able to sell our homes in the future unless we are ready to sell at a profound loss to justify the sale in a over inflated tax rate. Look out your front door, there is not a starbucks on the corner, a great bakery, a Gap or an Old Navy or a whole Foods market. There is dirty old pool club off of Blvd. East that I would not send my daughter's to. Street filled with pot holes and dog crap. Tax Payers-You are being asked to pay WestChester/Conneticut taxes for a town that does not offer the same services. Enough is enough, but it won't change until everyone shows that they will not stand for it any longer. Get involved, mobilize, fill town hall every month. Wear this Mayor down to his knees. He works for us!
Now the letter comes from the town in the mail stating "The state certified Chief Financial Officer prepared underfunded town budgets in previous years to avoid raising taxes." Is that what he was doing - avoiding raising taxes or lining his own pockets.
A 27% tax increase? Has everyone gone crazy? Who can afford this in these financial times? Who is watching the Mayor and people in office making these decisions? No one was obviously watching the former CFO when he responsible for a 15.5 million budget gap. Now we have to pay for it?
Every time I walk in front of my house, there is other people's dog crap in front of it. Now I'm supposed to pay an extra $500 a month for that. Where am I going to get this money? What about the elderly and people on a fixed income.
What's going to happen next year when they want to raise it 58% or why not just raise it 79%. Who's going to do something about it? They can just do whatever they want? It should be against the law.
How about the State of NJ and the State Attorney Generals Office looking into this and what's been going on in this town all these years.
The officials of the Town of West New York should be ashamed of themselves. This place is a disgrace!