Belleville Mayor Gives 'State Of Town' Speech: Taxes, Free Pre-K

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A year removed from his 2018 Election Day victory, Belleville Mayor Michael Melham gave his first state of the township address on Monday.

During an event at Nanina’s in the Park, Melham spoke about property taxes, redevelopment, PILOT agreements and a plan to offer free pre-kindergarten to local residents. Watch a video of his full speech here.

Here are some highlights from Melham’s 2019 address.

PROPERTY TAXES

According to Melham – who took part in his first budget go-round last year – the total tax increase on the average assessed home was $99, including county, municipal and school taxes.

“Not bad,” he summarized Monday evening.

However, Melham acknowledged that some Belleville residents did see a larger hike to their property taxes last year due to a voter-approved, $48.5 million school bond referendum in 2017.

The public question to approve the bonds passed by a vote of 1,836 to 1,152. Planned improvements include: window/door/roof replacement, electrical/lighting/HVAC improvements, interior renovations, multi-purpose room/auditorium renovations, upgraded fire alarm systems, ADA compliance (including elevator installations), flooring upgrades and clock/communications systems replacement.

• See related article: Belleville Voters Approve $48.5M School Renovations

According to Melham, a Belleville home valued at $360,000 will pay an extra $240 per year for the next 23 years due to the school referendum.

The mayor noted that the township council didn’t vote in favor of the bond issue, nor did the school board. “Rather, this was a question that the voters decided at the polls,” he said.

“Not happy about that?” he questioned. “I ask you… did you vote?”

Melham invited residents to attend the town’s upcoming budget meeting on Tuesday, May 28, which will discuss a possible municipal budget increase of about $68 this year. (Learn more here)

REDEVELOPMENT

“I’m going to say what no Belleville mayor has ever said,” Melham told attendees on Monday. “We can – and must – redevelop our way out.”

“I’m not ashamed to say it,” Melham continued. “Redevelopment isn’t a dirty word to me.”

Neither are payment in lieu of tax (PILOT) agreements, the mayor said.

PILOT agreements – also known as municipal tax abatements – are deals that enables a developer to switch their standard tax payments for a property with a fixed, yearly payment to the municipality.

Some municipal officials have called PILOT agreements useful tools to attract development to distressed or blighted areas of town. But their use has drawn criticism from opponents, some who caution that the deals can enable a big developer to skip out on paying their fair portion of property taxes.

“Guess what?” Melham said during his speech. “[PILOT] hasn’t been a dirty word for Bloomfield. It hasn’t been a dirty word for Harrison, or any other surrounding town that has effectively used them. PILOTs aren’t new to Belleville. We’ve used them – albeit sparingly – in the past.”

• See related article: Belleville Council Mulls Over Terry Street PILOT Agreement

According to Melham, the town’s lack of incentives and the ability to collect “the new source of ratables that come with them” are slowly strangling residential taxpayers in Belleville, while leaving large tracts of land vacant and contaminated.

“This must end,” he emphasized. “It’s simple economics.”

• See related article: Belleville Revaluation To Impact Local Taxes In 2019

Melham advocated for bringing new residential housing to the township that’s geared towards young professionals with higher disposable income.

“Once we get new mixed-use developments, we not only get the disposable income, but we get the windfall of rateables that come with it,” Melham said. “Those new ratables entering the township will certainly help offset and stabilize your taxes.”

For those interested in learning more about Melham’s views on PILOT agreements, he recommended watching the below video from the March 26 Belleville council meeting.

FREE PRE-K

Some welcome relief may be around the bend for Belleville parents who find themselves unable to afford pre-kindergarten education, Melham said Monday.

An effort to bring free pre-K classes to the township is getting closer, and may be available as soon as September, the mayor said.

According to Melham, working-class families are often forced with making the difficult decision between staying at home with a child or paying for expensive pre-K education.

Crediting Sen. Teresa Ruiz (District 29) – who has been on the frontline of the fight to expand pre-K in New Jersey for years – Melham said that the town is working with Ruiz and the local school district to deliver the “gamer changer” to Belleville.

“If all goes our way, we will receive a grant from the state to pay for six pre-K classrooms, with the ability to service 90 children and their families,” Melham said.

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