Wednesday’s papers brought the annual spring surprise.
The Medford Township wants the average taxpayer to pay $122 more just to live in the township.
However, this is in addition to the large increase in 2012 and the revaluation process that increased valuations and therefore the tax bill for many of our residents.
The township manager doesn’t say why the additional money is needed only that they can increase the amount they extort from each of us without our ability to express our approval. He does say that our brush and leaf collection will continue. Of course that was the reason we approved the tax increase last year!
Next, it was reported that the township superintendent wants another $198 to in his words, to rebuild. He wants to further expand the educational experience for the local students who already have, and which we handsomely pay for, one on the best educational opportunities available in the state and the country.
Our township administrators tend to think that the taxpayer’s pocketbook is a bottomless well and that they can just take without our permission for programs that they seem wise but which we may not want or approve.
Unfortunately, we have many residents who are unemployed with the states 9 percent unemployment rate. Further 20–30 percent of our residents are senior citizens on fixed incomes. They don’t have any way to increase their resources to pay for this wish list, just do without. And, I don’t know how many of the gainfully employed are getting increases in their take home pay. Pay which is already being diluted by Federal tax increases.
Just because the state has authorized taxing authorities to extort an additional 2 percent from property owners it is time that we stand up and say enough is enough. Live within your means. If you can’t do that then cut back programs to allow you to do so!
Marion Eggleton
