Bloomfield Taxpayer
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Harrison's Redevelopment Bond Crisis
A glimpse of Bloomfield's future.
Public Private Parternships only look good on paper.
The redevelopment in Harrison is going to cost the taxpayers.
http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2011/10/harrison_grapples_with_bond_cr.html
Public Private Parternships only look good on paper.
The redevelopment in Harrison is going to cost the taxpayers.
http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2011/10/harrison_grapples_with_bond_cr.html
Arnold Diaz Adds Bloomfield to His "Hall of Shame."
Townhip Engineer Paul Lasek makes mistake and blames Bloomfield resident.
Amazing.
Amazing.
Water Alert - 6 Months Later!
Earlier this week the township posted a notification about the drinking water in Bloomfield.
For complete information on the drinking water situation, go to the township website:
http://www.bloomfieldtwpnj.com/
The problem is that this occurred in the 3rd and 4th Quarter of 2011 - 6 months prior to the town being alerted.
Only when Baristanet reported about it did they town decide to let residents know of the situation.
Why weren't we informed as soon as this happened?
Is this a blatant disregard for the safety of Bloomfield residents?
It makes you wonder.
Contact the Town Engineer and question him on why he didn't feel it was necessary to alert residents of the drinking water situation.
TOWNSHIP OF BLOOMFIELD
1 Municipal Plaza
Bloomfield, NJ 07002
973-680-4130
For complete information on the drinking water situation, go to the township website:
http://www.bloomfieldtwpnj.com/
The problem is that this occurred in the 3rd and 4th Quarter of 2011 - 6 months prior to the town being alerted.
Only when Baristanet reported about it did they town decide to let residents know of the situation.
Why weren't we informed as soon as this happened?
Is this a blatant disregard for the safety of Bloomfield residents?
It makes you wonder.
Contact the Town Engineer and question him on why he didn't feel it was necessary to alert residents of the drinking water situation.
Paul D. Lasek, P.E.
Township EngineerTOWNSHIP OF BLOOMFIELD
1 Municipal Plaza
Bloomfield, NJ 07002
973-680-4130
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Redevelopment Projects
There are now three redevelopment projects going.
Two of them have been given some form of tax abatement and one is being done by a private company.
It will be interesting to see how quickly a private company using private funds takes to complete their project, as compared to that of Bloomfield, whose projects are taxpayer subsidized and are a public private partnership.
So far, the Bloomfield Center project has taken over 10 years to break ground to the cost of $20 million in bonded debt, with not one building constructed to show for all that money. The bonded debt is a gift from the current administration to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as they will be stuck having to pay for it.
The Bloomfield Center project will bring an additional 240 housing units. The Oaks Pond development, with its 30 year tax abatement, will bring in 248 housing units and the Parkway Lofts 361 loft style apartments.
All this new housing while there are over 340 homes for sale in Bloomfield and rental availability of at least 94 apartments and 74 homes in foreclosure.
The two tax abated projects will greatly increase the demand on our already stretched services. Not to mention what happens with the additional amount of kids attending our schools. Since they live in properties that have been given a tax abatement, the only fair conclusion is that property taxes are going to go up even more to pay for more kids attending our schools. The property owners won't be contributing, but Bloomfield residents will have to pay for these children to go to school.
Sounds fair to you, doesn't it?
Two of them have been given some form of tax abatement and one is being done by a private company.
It will be interesting to see how quickly a private company using private funds takes to complete their project, as compared to that of Bloomfield, whose projects are taxpayer subsidized and are a public private partnership.
So far, the Bloomfield Center project has taken over 10 years to break ground to the cost of $20 million in bonded debt, with not one building constructed to show for all that money. The bonded debt is a gift from the current administration to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as they will be stuck having to pay for it.
The Bloomfield Center project will bring an additional 240 housing units. The Oaks Pond development, with its 30 year tax abatement, will bring in 248 housing units and the Parkway Lofts 361 loft style apartments.
All this new housing while there are over 340 homes for sale in Bloomfield and rental availability of at least 94 apartments and 74 homes in foreclosure.
The two tax abated projects will greatly increase the demand on our already stretched services. Not to mention what happens with the additional amount of kids attending our schools. Since they live in properties that have been given a tax abatement, the only fair conclusion is that property taxes are going to go up even more to pay for more kids attending our schools. The property owners won't be contributing, but Bloomfield residents will have to pay for these children to go to school.
Sounds fair to you, doesn't it?
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tax Appeals Start January 1 - April 1, 2012
Dear Bloomfield Residents,
We are all suffering under the continuing tax burden placed upon us by the current administration.
In the 10 years of McCarthy's reign, we have seen our property taxes increase about 110%.
That is completely unacceptable. Increased taxes, decrease in services.
The Bloomfield Taxpayers Association will be hosting a workshop with an attorney so you can find out how to appeal your property taxes.
Last year there was an unprecedented number of appeals, especially in the Third Ward. Most of us have homes that are worth a lot less, but we're paying property taxes on a higher value that no longer holds true.
While we may be able to get a reduction in our property taxes based on a current value of our homes, we must also be careful that the town does not raise the property tax rate and put us back to the same level.
They will try to get this money from us one way or the other.
We are all suffering under the continuing tax burden placed upon us by the current administration.
In the 10 years of McCarthy's reign, we have seen our property taxes increase about 110%.
That is completely unacceptable. Increased taxes, decrease in services.
The Bloomfield Taxpayers Association will be hosting a workshop with an attorney so you can find out how to appeal your property taxes.
Last year there was an unprecedented number of appeals, especially in the Third Ward. Most of us have homes that are worth a lot less, but we're paying property taxes on a higher value that no longer holds true.
While we may be able to get a reduction in our property taxes based on a current value of our homes, we must also be careful that the town does not raise the property tax rate and put us back to the same level.
They will try to get this money from us one way or the other.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
A New Year's Resolution
I would like to urge you all to make a New Year's resolution to attend at least one council meeting a month.
Did you know that local and state government affect your day-to-day life more than the federal government?
It's where a bulk of your hard-earned tax dollars go, so this is a place of real power for residents of any town or city. You can have issues addressed face-to-face with you councilman by attending Town Council meetings; you can ask questions about upcoming proposals before it's voted on and you can learn who is running the town.
Knowledge is power. When you are aware of issues before they are voted on, action can be taken. It's hard to fight something after the fact.
Yes, it takes time. Yes, we are all busy. But this is your neighborhood. It's where you choose to call home and where your children go to school.
And yes, Bloomfield is still worth fighting for.
Did you know that local and state government affect your day-to-day life more than the federal government?
It's where a bulk of your hard-earned tax dollars go, so this is a place of real power for residents of any town or city. You can have issues addressed face-to-face with you councilman by attending Town Council meetings; you can ask questions about upcoming proposals before it's voted on and you can learn who is running the town.
Knowledge is power. When you are aware of issues before they are voted on, action can be taken. It's hard to fight something after the fact.
Yes, it takes time. Yes, we are all busy. But this is your neighborhood. It's where you choose to call home and where your children go to school.
And yes, Bloomfield is still worth fighting for.
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