Wayne Dems Announce Plan To Cut Property Taxes, Build Community Center

WAYNE, NJ — The slate of Democrats running in this year's municipal election want to build a performing arts center as a way of encouraging other businesses to come here.

Mayoral candidate Ray Egatz and his council candidates Dianne Douthat, Susan Deile and James Durgana propose bringing a Passaic County Performing Arts Center to Wayne. The center would play a role in creating a Town Center that would breath new life into the local business community, according to the candidates. The team would lobby the county to fund the project.

The Town Center would "organically attract restaurants, businesses and retail spaces to it," said Samantha Liebman, the Wayne Democrats campaign manager. "By bringing more business, the town will attract [tax] ratables, which will in turn put money back into the community, ultimately saving residents money."

Egatz and his team believe Mayor Chris Vergano's administration is not developing innovative ideas to bring businesses to town.

The Democrats do not have a set location for the Arts Center, but they want to put it somewhere where the flow of traffic would not be disrupted.

Democrats would also try to lower property taxes by incentivising people to shop locally.

Residents would get a card they would show at local retailers. Participating residents would see a percentage of their purchase go towards their property taxes.

"The program has had success in Pequannock, and has proven to be mutually beneficial for all sides," Liebman said.

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