June 23, 2010

The following article appeared in this week's edition of the Westfield Leader:

GOP Release: Quattrocchi, DeFilippo, Mathieu
Mayor and Council Should Support Christie’s 2.5-Percent Cap Plan
The Republican candidates for mayor and council in Garwood have called on Mayor Dennis McCarthy and the borough council to support Governor Chris Christie’s proposed constitutional amendment to cap property tax increases at 2.5 percent per year, unless voters choose to exceed the cap by referendum.

“Since Union County has among the highest property taxes in the nation, one would think that our current mayor would rise to the occasion and support our hardworking borough residents,” said Republican mayoral candidate Patricia Quattrocchi. Mrs. Quattrocchi said the mayor has not pledged his support to the governor’s tax reform agenda. (See www.state.nj.us/governor/ cap/mayors.html.)

“To date, seven Union County mayors, including those in Hillside and Linden, have signed on to the plan, as have several other Democrat mayors in New Jersey who have made it clear that they understand their residents’ tax burden.” The Christie plan is modeled on one approved by Massachusetts voters and enacted in 1982 when property taxes were, like New Jersey’s, burdensome on Massachusetts residents. The end result of enacting the 2.5-percent tax-increase cap dropped Massachusetts from third highest property tax burden in the nation to 33rd place today.

“I don’t believe that our mayor truly recognizes just how upset the residents are with this year’s tax increase,” said borough council candidate James Mathieu. “If he did he would be signing on to the Christie plan immediately. We can’t just keep raising taxes because people will have no choice but to leave Garwood.”

According to Gov. Christie’s 2.5- percent cap plan, local governing bodies could ask their voters to exceed the cap through referenda, said Victor DeFilippo, a GOP council candidate. “This referendum option gives the public the opportunity to voice their opinion on municipal expenditures sooner rather than years later when officials are up for reelection,” said Mr. DeFilippo, a former council member.

“Since 1999, property taxes in Garwood have risen an average of 4.7 percent per year. In April of this year, when presenting the budget, the council president boasted of reducing what was to be a 20-point increase down to 11.8 points, or a $118 tax increase on every home assessed at $100,000. This increase was not acceptable to GOP Councilmen Anthony Sytko and Timothy Hak, with each voting no on the borough’s budget. To their credit, the two Republicans voiced their opposition to the increased burden the council is putting on the backs of the residents,” Mrs. Quattrocchi said.

All three candidates noted that Garwood voters supported the Governor in the fall election and, accordingly, their elected officials should support his plan to control property tax increases.

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June 21, 2010

A new press release is now available:

Garwood GOP Candidates Call for Mayor and Council to Support Governor's 2.5% Cap Amendment

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June 10, 2010

A new press release is now available:

Garwood GOP Announces Slate for General Election