Due Diligence Rejected for Partisan Politics. Water Sewer Update

Chump Change Scrooges. Due Diligence Rejected for Partisan Politics. A further look at the fee verse tax increases to remedy water sewer needs...a perfect example how people; or partisan patriots work against their own interest; or the interest of all.

This will explain why the tax increase previously proposed by Mayor Soriano and rejected by the majority republican Council, would have been more just than the now increased water and sewer fees for the resident taxpayers; especially the aged or retired on set incomes. The squabble about chump change; the average increase of $4.32, that would of, in it’s cumulative collection could of covered and paid for the need that now exists in our municipal water/sewer infrastructure. (and prevented the loss of the 11-13 jobs, in an attempt to cut back expenses, supposedly to give some tax relief .

So now we have a shared sewer fee of $71 a quarter by all; a $284 dollar a year, no matter the usage of water. The average home under the tax increase would have been $51.84 for the year on average. We now add the $8.00 increase for minimum usage, an additional $32 annually, no matter the increase beyond minimum usage.

Due Diligence not performed by council majority

One public outcry was from the aged or retired on set incomes, alleging in an irrational partisan manner, that somehow this tax increase would break the backs of their limited financial resources; and the majority republican council rejected the tax, only to simply dictate to the resident home owners a fee was more in order, and simply by saying that no such increase in water/sewer fees had taken place in many years, this had to be!
Let us ponder the following: 1. The sewer water surplus was used for other, still not known or made transparent purposes, approximately $18 million. 2. If the previous surplus was apparently sufficient to not raise taxes but leave the coffers bare, when the actual need finally existed for the designated water sewer purpose then why was a fee increase needed at all? 3. The fact that the $71 quarterly increase was picked because it was fair for all also is a hoax; in that we all are not the same in our fortunes and circumstances.

Senior Freeze not considered by Partisan Illogic
Now the aged outcry! How is the fee increase fair to the aged element that protested and rejected the meager “tax increase”? They are in fact now paying more by the fee not less! Their partisan patriotism has worked against them. By a tax increase the overall taxes would have been reimbursed by the Senior Tax Freeze at the end of the year; the money will not now be so reimbursed. (Relief from BOE tax for seniors only stops at what they were paying at 65 years with the freeze, so BOE tax remains).

Now we will apparently have eventually more of a surplus than ever in water/sewer. The Republican Council did not due its due diligence and rejected the work done by the previous accountant who did her work and came up with the average $4.32 based in actual property /wealth reflection in a more just manner. Who then was, as now preventing the wasteful use of our resource tax dollars?. Finally; will the new increase in fees be used to compensate for future corporate private increased demand for water/sewer on Parsippany's overdeveloped landscapes?