Editor, the Asbury Park Sun:

In 1985, I bought a home in Asbury Park for two reasons: Asbury Park was a city I had enjoyed and one of the most affordable real estate markets in Monmouth County. I made a modest salary that through the years certainly did not grow exponentially with the cost of living. My community service is extensive here as those of you that know me are aware.

In 1994, I began a career as a police dispatcher for the Asbury Park Police Department. During my years with the city, I did my job, came to work, negotiated contracts, mediated employee-management disagreements and had pride in my job. I was laid off 17-and-a-half years later, my salary was less than $50,000. The taxes on my house grew from $1,200 to over $9,000 per year. With all the other fee increases and home maintenance I just struggle to survive.

Like many residents here in Asbury Park, I have seen my middle-income salary become low-income, invested years in this community — sticking it out in the bad times — and experienced the increasingly deaf ear of city government. The city has the highest crime in Monmouth County, highest tax rate in Monmouth County and still climbing, is still mediating sluggish redevelopment that started in 1982, sold its beachfront for pennies, agreed it was okay to take people’s homes for private profit and the $500,000 extraordinary state aid in the late 1990s climbed to over $5,000,000 while our city is buried in a debt service of over $52,000,000 with looming property revaluation. Look at your tax bill, without state aid I would have to pay $38,000 a year! Paid parking and beach fees will not solve our fiscal woes.

The situation we find our city in cannot be improved by those whose decisions, although well-intended, have created a subsidized city. Asbury Park is dependent on the state of New Jersey, never becoming fiscally able to wean itself off the state money. The school district waives fees for recreation, pays for three school resource officers (including benefits) and now pays $75,000 a year for extra police patrols. The developer pays $250,000 for boardwalk police. The incumbents have even sealed the school district’s future by not requiring new residences in the waterfront redevelopment zone to pay school taxes for the next 30 years.

I am concerned about Asbury Park’s future and what will become of the hard work that businesses, the remaining city employees and residents alike have put into this city. How can the direction of this city change to bring us back to sustainability and fiscal health?

I support veteran residents, former employees of the city with inside knowledge of the inner workings, people entrenched in the community, listeners, educators, legal knowledge, informed decision-makers asking questions and stewards of our natural resources. I endorse the ticket of One Asbury with the right combination: Campbell, Crank, Moor, Quinn and Woerner. Good luck to everyone and may the popular vote decide.

Please vote.

— Barbara Lesinski, Board of Education member, 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.]