AREA — Local residents should expect to see their Union County taxes go up this year after four years of no increases.
On Wednesday, the Union County Board of County Commissioners introduced its $543,423,186 budget. Of that total amount, Commissioner Rebecca Williams said, $373,722,967 (or 1.75 percent more than last year) will need to be raised by taxes.
“The decision to raise the tax levy was not made lightly and we want to assure the community that every effort has been made to minimize the impact on our residents,” County Manager Ed Oatman wrote in a letter to the commissioner board back in February. “The increase is attributed to the persistent and escalating effects of inflation, increased costs throughout our operating budget and the tight labor market for the delivery of goods and services required to maintain our infrastructure.”
In addition to maintaining the county’s usual array of public services, road repairs, departmental salaries and community initiatives, Ms. Williams noted Wednesday that this year’s budget will help to support Chairwoman Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded’s 2024 “Growing Together in Union County” initiatives.
“The ‘Growing Together’ initiatives focus on enhancing connectivity and inclusivity, providing services to seniors, expanding access to mental health services, creating new women’s initiatives and fostering family connections,” Ms. Williams said.
Garwood resident Bruce Paterson questioned the need for the increase and lamented the county’s decision not to hold its usual series of public budget meetings heading into this year’s introduction.
“I think this year’s budget is smart, and it’s manageable,” Commissioner James Baker said. “This budget will allow us to continue to offer the programs and services to the residents of Union County that they look forward to and deserve.”
The Commissioner Board also heard from Elizabeth resident Patrick Jones, who informed the governing body that a group of individuals on ATVs, four-wheelers and dirt bikes has been causing problems across multiple neighborhoods.
“There had to be at least 50 to 70 of them,” Mr. Jones said, adding that it took at least 15 minutes for the group to pass in front of his house. “They have no regard for anyone’s safety or for anyone’s property. This is not the first time this has happened. Someone is going to get killed.”
Similar incidents have been reported throughout many of the state’s urban centers, among them Jersey City, Newark and Atlantic City.
Last year, in an effort to crack down on reckless riders, the Atlantic City Council passed an ordinance that prohibits gas stations from providing fuel to any vehicle without a proper street-legal license plate and bans the owners of self storage facilities that operate within the city from housing ATVs or dirt bikes.
“I don’t know if we could do something like that here, but it’s just a thought,” said Mr. Jones. “It’s very dangerous, and it’s turning out to be a real problem.”
Mr. Oatman promised to connect Mr. Jones to the County Police Department to try to begin to coordinate a response between the county and the City of Elizabeth.
