TOMS RIVER – One thing the mayoral candidates both agree on is that taxes are too high.
In two previous articles, Republican Councilman Dan Rodrick and Democrat Ben Giovine spoke about development and where they see the town in four years.
In this final mayoral election article, both candidates were asked to provide 300-500 words about their tax plans if they are elected. Direct attacks on the other person were deleted. Their responses, in alphabetical order, are as follows:
Ben Giovine’s Tax Plan
“Affordability is the top concern I hear from residents when knocking on doors. This problem is not unique to Toms River but that doesn’t mean we need to throw up our hands in despair. Our community has time and time again shown the rest of the state we can balance superb services without putting our taxpayers through the ringer – we just may need to tweak how we approach our budget and services.”
“Right out of the gate, I pledge to support our men and women in blue by working closely with the Toms River Police Department. Chief Mitch Little continues to operate one of the best departments in the state and they deserve a mayor and council that will continue to support their budgets and priorities. As mayor, I would coordinate with County Commissioners, state and federal officials on ensuring the department receives essential funding through grants and other resources to help offset costs.”
“Toms River is NJ’s 8th largest municipality and its leaders continue to put politics over people. It is shameful we do not get our fair share from Trenton nor do we compete for federal funding for major infrastructure projects. As mayor, I will work in a bipartisan way to ensure Toms River no longer loses out on these opportunities. Tapping into various grants and proactive advocacy for our needs can bring large savings to the taxpayers.”
“With the most recent property tax revaluation behind us, we must now turn our focus towards keeping our budgets stable and improving the customer service provided by the town.”
“Affordability is not a partisan issue and shouldn’t just be used around election time. To truly save Toms River, we need to ensure our residents have the financial security they need to live, prosper and retire here. I pledge to commit myself to these principles each day as mayor of Toms River.”
Dan Rodrick’s Tax Plan
“Property taxes are out of control in Toms River. As Councilman, I voted against every tax increase and every increase in township fees. I’ve also opposed millions in wasteful spending.”
“As mayor, I will finally have a full team to support cutting the wasteful spending that has been increasing our property taxes. We also have a plan to reduce the township’s current debt load. As you know, interest rates have quadrupled, so it is important that we reduce debt and cut spending. If we don’t, taxes will skyrocket. We cannot afford to continue down the current path.”
There’s an old saying that, ‘you know a tree by its fruit.’ I have never voted to increase taxes. On taxes, I believe the choice in Toms River is clear. I stand by my record.”
