Posted: Monday, 08 March 2010 5:21AM

Should The State Do As It Says?

By law, municipalities are not permitted to increase property taxes by more than 4% a year unless there are extenuating circumstances and often times that seems to be the case. The state has no such cap when it comes to its budget. Two top Assembly members from opposing parties think this is a hypocritical stance.

"We should put together a constitutional amendment which will not allow us to exceed a 3½% max in creases in our budget says Assembly republican Leader Alex DeCroce. He recently told the state's mayors, "We ask you guys to have a max and a cap, we should put one on ourselves."

Democratic chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, Lou Greenwald agrees with DeCroce.

"Also, before we can pass any new taxes in the State of New Jersey we should pass another statute that says we need a 3/5 majority in either house in order to pass a tax," says DeCroce. "That way there will be lesser burdens placed on the people of the State of New Jersey and that would work, but we need to work on it. Frankly, you talk about being courageous, that's being courageous."

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