TAX NEWS - 2010

New Jersey Tax: Maywood may lay off cops to give residents tax relief

MAYWOOD — The borough is considering laying off police officers to help reduce budgets costs, said Borough Administrator Tom Richards.

Homeowners are already facing a $182 increase in municipal taxes, according to the $14.9 million budget adopted last month.

Borough Chief Financial Officer Chuck Cuccia said the tax increase was due to a loss in state aid, and the council needed to cut costs to minimize the tax burden. Richards also said the borough was denied a request for additional state aid.

Some of the other ways the borough is looking to save money include not hiring additional police officers, not replacing retirees in the Public Works Department, consolidating municipal services with neighboring towns and "resorting to states of emergency spending only."

The council rejected a request from Police Chief David Pegg to hire two additional officers. However, Pegg said he was unaware of any potential layoffs, a move he says his department cannot afford to bear.

"We're a small department of 24 officers. I've got an injured officer and another on military leave. We were working to hire two additional officers and the council overrode that and I'm very concerned because we need all of our officers," Pegg said.

But Pegg said he would not contest the council's refusal to hire the officers.

"It's hard to fight because cuts are happening everywhere in New Jersey, not just in Maywood," he said.

Richards echoed Pegg's concerns about a reduction in the police force, but he said it is one of several options council members are considering to provide some tax relief for Maywood residents. He also said it is possible the council could later reinstate any officers that might face unemployment.

Richards said the 2010 budget includes cuts to operational costs and consolidation.

"We don't have our own gas pumps and Rochelle Park supplies this for us," he said "We sweep Lodi's streets and they pay us for it. We now have Hackensack working with us and collecting our garbage. All these things, no matter how minute, are all working to save the borough money."

He said the borough saves "anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000," on the consolidation efforts, Richards said.

But despite these efforts to cut back costs, residents and business owners have expressed the challenges they face trying to stay afloat while dealing with the tax increase.

Jada Fabrizio a 19-year resident and the owner of Jada Fabrizio Design, said she needs to leave the Maywood area because of the increase of taxes over the years.

"Taxes are getting to a point where we're rivaling with Ridgewood and both business owners and homeowners are struggling to keep up. If I'm going to be paying these high prices I expect to see the tax benefit, which I'm not seeing at all," Fabrizio said.