Regarding the pubic advert on Clark PILOT equity ordinance from page 10 of the February 22 edition of the Hawk/ Leader.

Clark Township approved on the first reading an equity sharing ordinance #24-05. This is for their municipal receipt of PILOT monies to be received from their upcoming large residential project with a portion to be distributed to their school district.

What I find most relevant reads: ‘the ..council…will continue to fund the…Board of education…their percentage of tax revenue as would be due based on the assessed value of the underlying property…” Note property is comprised and identified together as “land” and “improvements” as shown on our related annual tax bills.

What interests we as Garwood taxpayers is that the assessed values of the high-density residential property in our own borough are already found on page UFB-5 of the 2023 Borough’s “friendly” budget under the “5 Year Exemption/Abatements’section. That is the $77.211 mill figure. On that page also includes a figure of “Taxes if Billed in Full” of $2.032 mill.

Using the normal tax assessment apportionment on our private properties we arrive at the proportion of roughly 60 percent that we as residents

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with private properties do pay toward the school district operations. That makes a true dollar figure the projects, if not abated, would owe the district in taxes of $1.2 mill.

However, the municipal end, in their munificence to the developers, granted PILOTs, without any district input, and therefore only collected a revenue total of $591,000 instead of $2.032 mill. Sadly, this revenue collection format is now water under the bridge.

So, looking at what true revenues we received, $591k, that puts the proper 60 percent equity distribution for the district at $350,000. However, we found, any entreaty of fair share equity distribution has been met with unwarranted resistance by the governing body.

I still propose we do the same type ordinance as Clark muni has done. However, we as residents will have to leave it up to both parties to come to an intra-local agreement, as to finally firming up an annual set % distribution, of our lesser collected PILOT revenues. This to avoid the annual “hat-in-hand” pleading of the district to help fund the shortfalls of the cost of educational programs for the children, that the district always encounters due to the governing body’s parsimony.

Bruce Paterson Garwood

Editor’s Note: This letter was originally sent, in longer format, to Garwood Borough officials.