Brick Should Use $1.3M Reimbursement For Tax Relief, Mayoral Candidate Says

BRICK, NJ — What should Brick Township do with the $1.3 million it will be receiving from Ocean County in reimbursement of Superstorm Sandy cleanup costs? One mayoral candidate says it should be used to reduce the township's tax levy.

Rob Canfield, who is running for mayor as an independent, said the reimbursement, which was announced Thursday by the Ocean County Board of Freeholders, should be used to provide more tax relief to the township's residents.

Brick's municipal tax rate was decreased by a half-cent in the 2017 township budget, the first decrease in at least 30 years, Mayor John Ducey has said.

The $1,3 million represents Brick's 10 percent match on the initial debris cleanup after Superstorm Sandy struck Oct. 29, 2012. The Ocean County Board of Freeholders offered to manage the debris cleanup through a shared servoces agreement; Brick was one of 17 communities that signed on.

“These are taxpayers' dollars that need to be returned to the taxpayers immediately,” Canfield said in a news release.

"While the 2017 budget has been adopted by the governing body of Brick, it is not too late to amend the budget and reduce the municipal portion of taxes by the $1.3 million before the August billing is prepared," Canfield said.

“This would be immediate tax relief to the taxpayers who are already overburdened by property taxes at all levels of government," he said. "I hope and expect that Mayor Ducey will see the wisdom in agreeing to my request and amend the 2017 budget as what is best for Brick Township."

Canfield, who is running against Ducey and Republican candidate Domenick Brando, has assailed the township's tax rate and spending on his campaign website, www.TakeBackBrick.com, and said his plan will allow for more police officers on the street while freezing local property taxes.

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