As We See It: Beachcomber April 8, 2005

From the Brigantine Taxpayers Association

This column will address several issues of interest to taxpayers - the school budget and capital expenditures, the marina and the municipal-purpose tax.

The Board of School Estimate, composed of three Council members and two School Board members, recently voted for a school budget with a 5 1/2 cents tax increase. There's an increase of $762,000 over the last budget in the amount to be raised by property taxes. As we said in our letter, we believe that it's reasonable to expect that a declining school population results in a reduced cost to taxpayers for the support of our public school district.

Another issue concerning public education in Brigantine is an application by the Board to seek partial State funding for 29 school projects totaling $7,000,000. Evidently, this is now on hold because of the acting Governor's freeze on these funds. We believe there should be a public meeting to discuss these issues. What's necessary and affordable? Who pays?

Recently, the BTA board voted to oppose the purchase. of three lots of bayside land from a private developer,and development of it, for over $3 million by the City of Brigantine for a public marina comprised of 32 rental boat slips, a parking lot, a possible fishing pier, a pump-out facility, and a building housing restrooms, etc. There would not be a retail store or repair facilities. The City has applied to Green Acres and the County for grants to fund this project. We oppose it regardless of the outcome of these applications. With or without such funds we believe it would be a cost to taxpayers in terms of operational and maintenance expenses which would exceed any revenue and thus become a taxpayer-funded liability. It would be another public business in competition with existing privately-owned marina businesses in Brigantine, and a piece of currently-taxed property removed from the tax roles. These private businesses appear to have adequate facilities to meet the demand for their services. It's not government's function to compete with them, or to assume that, perhaps, they'll all be gone someday. Keep in mind that Green Acres stipulates that the use of its money will restrict the use of that property in perpetuity, and that renters of these slips will be chosen at random from throughout the state, not just from among Brigantine residents.

At a recent City Council meeting on the marina, one Council person said that the "quality of life" in Brigantine should be the determining factor in Council's decision, not the cost. Government does have a function in that "quality" in terms of safety for citizens, and in seeing that it uses as few tax dollars as possible in providing that safety, leaving citizens with more money in their own pockets to determine their own quality of life. Sometimes elected government officials lose sight of their proper function and forget whose money it is and whom they' serve. And speaking of our money in our pockets, our new municipal-purpose tax rate is going up 13 cents in this year's budget despite continuing increasing tax revenues from increasing ratables, and a declining municipal population of primary homeowners. By the time you read this, Council will have passed the budget.