PLUMSTED – A resolution was passed during a special meeting of the Township Committee to help residents negatively impacted by the PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) agreement but their solution didn’t leave all those residents satisfied.
Several years ago, the Committee and Lennar, the developer finalized an agreement which covered the cost for a much needed and long sought sanitary system for the downtown business district of New Egypt.
Members of that Lennar development, Venue at Longview Community, a 55-plus age restricted community, are restricted in their ability to apply for certain state benefits for seniors and veterans as a result of conditions of the PILOT agreement.
Mayor Robert Bowen noted during the meeting, the passing of a resolution in June by the Committee that involved “finding a solution for PILOT residents not having parity with property tax paying residents for the adult senior citizen discounts.”
He noted there was legislation “floating around in Trenton that would come to life later that summer as Stay NJ and that was an opportunity for us to create a parity for us that would have been impossible for us to do as a township.”
StayNJ is a new tax relief program for New Jerseyans over 65 that passed both houses of the state legislature on nearly unanimous votes.
Twelfth Legislative District Assemblyman Alex Sauickie addressed the group at the onset of the special meeting. He had worked to include Venue within the tax relief program. In speaking with The Jackson Times after the meeting, the lawmaker said, “I have already ensured that the residents of the PILOT program will be eligible for the new StayNJ program when it takes effect, which will ensure the senior citizen residents of Lennar will be eligible for that program, as it is defined for tax payers not in a PILOT program.”
Assemblyman Sauickie noted “the subjects of draft bills (five items in total), I have ready to submit when legislators return to Trenton on November 20.
The bill will make residential PILOT payers eligible for the following (requires constitutional amendment to take effect):
The veterans’ deduction – $250
The 100% disabled veterans’ exemption – no “property tax” payments for 100% fully disabled veterans; and the senior citizen and disabled homeowners’ deduction – $250
12th District Assemblyman Alex Sauickie addresses those in attendance at a recent Plumsted Township Committee meeting. Seated behind him is Plumsted Deputy Mayor Herb Marinari. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)
“Most importantly, I think it is grossly unfair that our veterans who have fought for us are not eligible for their benefits,” the lawmaker added. “The bill making residential PILOT payers eligible for the “senior freeze” program (technically, the “homestead property tax reimbursement”); this does not require a constitutional amendment.”
He also noted that a “bill amending the current FY 2024 state budget to make residential PILOT payers eligible for the ANCHOR program; it’s not in statute, so this would need to be in every budget that authorizes it going forward.”
There were approximately 75 Lennar homeowners in attendance and they were hoping for a guaranteed percentage cap but were told that would prove extremely difficult to implement at this point in time due to unknown financial availability.
Venue resident Dominic Griffo and other Venue residents have been promoting the petition for protection for Lennar residents of Venue at Longview Community and legislation governing residential PILOT programs. The petition calls for state lawmakers and leaders to support them and future residents of the state by adopting legislation that provides protection against the risks of residential PILOT programs.
“Though the intention of the PILOT program may have been for the best interest of Plumsted Township, the reality is that residents of our community are being penalized and stripped of safeguards we would have otherwise gained under an ad valorem tax structure,” the petition states.
The petition that was signed by 200 residents of Venue and presented to the governing body during the meeting, outlines six specific areas that the residents are requesting to be provided that provide protection noting a modification of the current PILOT program is needed.
Griffo noted the petition seeks to ensure equity for Venue residents that are comparable to those residents under the current and valorem tax structure within the wider Plumsted community and the rest of New Jersey.
Those six areas include a disclosure of risk, protection against uncontrolled spending by township officials, spending caps, abatement incentives, protection against loss of benefits and incentive programs and management and maintenance of community infrastructure elements.
“A residential PILOT program is a wonderful thing. We literally wouldn’t have that neighborhood you live in without it,” Committeeman Dominick Cuozzo said. “I know there was oversight leading into it. When it comes to government, (problems) don’t have quick solutions. I am very thankful that we were able to bring things to attention and they were handled in such a swift manner and things have worked out as they have.”
“This was a long, long process to put this together,” Committeeman Mike Hammerstone said concerning the resolution. “A special thanks to the Assemblyman for his help. I think everyone worked well together and the solutions in front of us are really good or at least a good start and I hope the state does what it says it will do.”
The Committee unanimously passed the resolution during the meeting promising residents of the Lennar development that they would enjoy certain “savings” should StayNJ not be initiated.
Griffo told The Jackson Times that, “in my opinion and in the opinion of the (Venue) residents the resolution does not address the concerns highlighted by our petition.”
“The fact of the matter remains; this residential PILOT program strips benefits from the people locked into it. Plumsted is bad for people especially those living in a senior community tied to a PILOT program. The resolution clearly could have made provisions to allocate PILOT surpluses to offset losses to residents where they would have otherwise benefitted under an ad valorem tax program,” Griffo added.
He said, “the only differentiator between a PILOT program and an ad valorem property tax program should be who gets the pot of money and how it is used. It should not penalize residents and strip them of benefits they would otherwise be entitled to.”
“There has to be an alternative plan. We’re tired of being a cash cow. Cap the program. Why do you have to go to 100 percent?” one Venue resident asked.
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