Ocean Resident Responds To Superior Court Decision In Favor of Loch Arbour
Mayerowitz: This is patently unfair to the millions of State residents who pay their share of property taxes based on their property assessment
Editor, Asbury Park Sun,
I am a senior resident of the Township of Ocean. As such, I am deeply concerned about the recent decision to permit the Village of Loch Arbour to vote to leave the Township of Ocean School District. A vote to remain with the Township of Ocean School District would be a shock to myself and the residents of Ocean Township. A vote to permit such an election should not take place until all appeals have taken place but this decision has already been made by the Superior Court.
Loch Arbour has made a case that they have few students attending the Ocean School District and it would be less expensive to attend another school district. No argument here on the underlying reason but seniors all over the State can make an argument that they have no children attending any school district and should receive a dispensation from paying no property taxes for the school system. Unfortunately, our State grants them no exception. The State requires that all taxpayers pay their pro rata share of school taxes based on the assessed value of their property. It does not have individuals pay school taxes based on the number of children in school or on a per student basis. You pay the same rate whether you have zero or ten children in school based on your property assessment.
Loch Arbour is looking to fund school taxes based on the number of children attending school from Loch Arbour. This is patently unfair to the millions of State residents who pay their share of property taxes based on their property assessment.
More importantly, what is the driving force behind the Loch Arbour request? They say it is because they only have a few children in the school system, but why do they have such few children? A careful review of the Loch Arbour property rolls indicates that over 30% of the properties in Loch Arbour are either vacation homes or rental properties. No wonder they have such few children in school. What they do have are desirable properties that command one of the highest assessed average property values in the Monmouth County and State. A comparison of what Loch Arbour residents pay per $100 of assessment reveals it is essentially the same as residents of Ocean Township. It is not the number of children driving taxes but location, location, location.
Bottom line: Loch Arbour wants to pay lower taxes which has nothing to do with education but it has to do with their wallets. A vote to allow Loch Arbour to withdraw will however have an impact on the quality of education in Ocean Township. The impact will of course be financial, but this will have a direct effect on the quality of that education. All individuals, including the residents of Loch Arbour should be concerned about supporting public education but alas Mayor Fernicola is only concerned about his wallet.
The Superior Court decision is a travesty to all the residents of Ocean Township and all the singles, seniors and childless families throughout the State who fund public education despite the fact that they have no children in any school system.
Why should Loch Arbour shirk their civic responsibility to fund public education?
Paul Mayerowitz
Cedar Village
[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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