New Jersey bail reform is directly impacting the 2017 fiscal budget in Cumberland County – resulting in a tax hike of 3.5 cents in the property tax rate.
As we have been saying all along – taxpayers will suffer by picking up the tab for bail reform – a program already in turmoil amid an onslaught of criticism for the reckless and unaccountable release of offenders.
You’ve been LIED to New Jersey…NJ Bail Reform is RECKLESS, DANGEROUS, and YOU are PAYING for it.
Bail reform blamed for tax hike in Cumberland’s $157M budget
(published by NJ.com – April 26 2017)
Freeholders have approved a $157 million county budget for 2017 that includes a 3.5-cent tax hike they say is mostly caused by expenses associated with state bail reform laws now in effect.
The new budget includes a 3.5 cent hike in the county tax rate bringing it to $1.085 per $100 of market value, official said.
Officials pointed to the county costs associated with New Jersey’s bail reform laws which took effect Jan. 1 as the reason for 2 cents of the tax hike.
Also there was the loss of $100 million in tax ratables as the reason for most of the other portion –1.2 cents — of the increase. The remaining 0.3 cent hike was because of other increased operating expenses, officials said.
The $157,641,392 spending plan is about $580,000 less than 2016’s. However, it calls for the raising of $94,760,000 in revenue, $2,045,000 or 2.21 percent more than in 2016.
“I’m very pleased that we were able to decrease our county budget without impacting services to the citizens of Cumberland County,” Freeholder Director Joe Derella said.
The budget also includes $9,929,338 in federal and state grants. From the county surplus, $5,400,000 is being used, leaving $10,676,465 on hand in that account.
The 4 to 3 vote Tuesday night adopting the budget fell along party lines, with the bail reform issue playing a role.
Freeholder Carman Daddario said he was casting a “protest vote” of “no,” saying he was unhappy with the impact bail reform was having on county taxpayers.