Friday, July 14, 2023

Lakewood Residents Decry Tax Increases, call to Restructure Local Govt

 At the township meeting last night residents sent in public comments that took up more than 10 minutes to read. 

The meeting started with the committee wishing condolences to the mayor on the loss of his mother and took a moment of silence. The mayor was appreciative of the response and outpouring of support from the community over the last week. The meeting is still only online and several members refuse to show their face only participating with audio.
Then it was back to business as usual as the township adopted the annual budget with a $4 million increase over last year. 

Residents questioned why the township has had an empty seat for over a year and the committee is only functioning with 4 members a suggestion was made to drop 2 seats and have the committee operate with only 3 members  as the  meeting have been reduced to a consent agenda with a rubber stamp of 3 yes votes.

A point was made that Lakewood needs to restructure the govt body with splitting the mayor from the council just like neighboring Jackson and Toms River. The town is too big to have the current form of government. There needs to be transparency and more accountability by splitting the legislative from the executive having a mayor with a council..

Several comments were sent regarding the tax increases stressing that  over-development only leads to an increase of property taxes and questioned why  they are giving out tax abatements at a time  when you can't afford any more tax cuts and have increased taxes.
Local business owners can't compete with the tax abatements given to new projects.

Others asked What is being done to lower taxes, as lakewood is no longer affordable place to live especially for young couples, and the LFD will raise taxes with 20 new paid firefighters. People can't wait for 30 years until the cedarbridge properties will begin to pay property taxes. 

A few comments called to oppose a ordnance that gives a 5 year tax abatement as sneaky after the planning board refused to approve the 30 year tax cut for the same building.

A resident of  Prime apartments  said that the project is an example of giving landlords tax abatements to projects that they can't afford to hold and will be forced to sell.

Another comment stating the serious safety issue along the route 70 corridor as a very dangerous road to the safety of the residents there and the committee and public leaders should make a public safety awareness campaign and look into a pedestrian bridge over route 70.

The mayor did not respond to any of the comments pertaining to the tax increases. 

13 comments:

  1. R' Yeruchim travelled to the tzion of the Rav Harashi yesterday. I don't see the litvaks screaming this is not our minhag and calling him a tuna beigel. Will R' Ribner be giving a chabura about it. Bunch of yeshivish hypocrites criticizing R Shayale.

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    1. R' Yeruchem is a master תלמיד חכם and עובד ה' who has spent 5-6 decades ביגיעת התורה.
      When he goes to a kever, it's part of his avodas hashem.
      There is a makom for going to kevarim, any litvak will agree. The issue people have is the fad aspect of it, everyone going to a kever because it is the "in" thing to do. From Uman to Lizhensk to Kerestir, and all the time you have some rebbeshe einikel trying to push another European kever as the new trip destination.
      I'm not even discussing the fresserei that happens on R Shayale's yartzeit and by his kever. That a whole other topic

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    2. That is your misunderstanding. They are not going because it's the in thing. They are going to connect to the tzaddik that is there. Don't judge someone for serving hashem differently than you do.

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    3. (ab) you are a sad, angry, strange little man. it can't be good for you.

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    4. There were some from earlier generations from our velt who were against going to ANY kevarim

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    5. Anon 10:03
      I can't talk about everyone who goes, but the majority of the guys i know who went to Kerestir barely learn for 30 min a day and their שמונה עשרה is not longer than 3 min. So don't start with the "connecting to a Tzadik" garbage.
      And it's not about serving Hashem differently, its about not making up new ways of serving Hashem. No one's grandfathers did this kind of עבודת ה'

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  2. It's unbelievable how the ask the mayor on the poop is irrelevant questions that avoid anything of substance while the real issues get ignored.
    Do they think people are that stupid to fall for that propaganda

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  3. Last night had technical difficulties, again. You know what doesn't have technical difficulties? in-person meetings.

    Township has become a bunch of useless members collecting a fat check for doing nothing. For example, assistant mayor does nothing different than any other committee member, other that if the mayor would be missing he'd chair the meeting. Probably without even showing his face. Last night Ackerman chaired the meeting for 30 seconds, I think he should get a $5000 bonus for that.

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    1. Ackerman came in ten years ago claiming he'll fix things up? What's changed? NOTHING!!

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  4. Who's worse? A molester or an enabler? Because Coles &Poop are the enablers for M&M that are ripping us off. Taxes would be a fraction of where they are now if for M&M.

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  5. Reb Yeruchem is 50% Galitzyaner Chassidish

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  6. R Yeruchim went there to davin, not fress on prime rib like the tuna bagels do by R Shiale

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  7. Sorry. I don’t speak code. Hint who is m and m?

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