Bruno: Vote no on April 20 rent control referendum
"Our property taxes will skyrocket and our quality of life will suffer"
To the Editor, Asbury Park Sun:
As a lifelong resident of Asbury Park, former firefighter, former fire inspector and Deputy Mayor, I’ve always paid close attention to issues that affect homeowners like myself. That’s why I’m writing you personally and urging you to vote NO on the April 20th ballot referendum.
Make no mistake about it – if this ballot referendum passes, our property taxes will skyrocket and our quality of life will suffer.
I commend the City Council for passing strong and fair rent control earlier this year. It protects renters from predatory rent increases. It protects homeowners who are taxed enough as it is. And it protects our local businesses. If this referendum passes, all of those protections disappear.
The current rent control ordinance is good governance at work. And it has the added benefit that it can be changed, modified, and improved upon, whenever we want.
But if the April 20th referendum passes, we are stuck with it for three years. Nothing in the ordinance can be modified or improved. Not a single word can be changed. We are forced to swallow it whole.
Worst of all, the proposed ordinance creates a rent control board with zero representation from Asbury Park homeowners. How do you like that? Higher taxation without representation!
On Tuesday, April 20th, I’m voting NO on the Asbury Park referendum and I hope that you will too. Polls will be open from 6 AM to 8 PM.
James Bruno
Asbury Park
[This letter represents the opinion of its writer and is not representative of any opinion of the Asbury Park Sun staff. All readers are welcome to submit Letters to the Editor to news@asburyparksun.com for our consideration. For guidelines on letter-writing and submission, click here.]
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