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Morris County Freeholder Doug Cabana Says Proposed Budget Items Could Burden Property Owners and Small Business

Governor’s elimination of an income-tax deduction for property taxes paid hurts property owners, while possible business tax increases hurts the very economic engines we need to rebuild the economy

March 10, 2009. Boonton, NJ.

Morris County Freeholder Doug Cabana, candidate for New Jersey Assembly in the 25th District, feels the Governor’s plan to eliminate an income-tax deduction for property taxes paid is another slap in the face of overtaxed property owners.

“Property owners seem to get no respect from this democratic majority”, said Cabana. “Taxpayers at least were able to get some semblance of relief from this deduction, but now that’s being taken away and property taxes will go up again”. Income taxes will also rise if this deduction were eliminated.

In addition, tax increases on business will hurt the very revenue generation engines that are needed to bring New Jersey’s fiscal house back in order. Should the administration propose an increase in the payroll tax to offset losses in the state unemployment-insurance fund, “this increase in the payroll tax would really hurt small businesses who already are suffering in this brutal economy”, said Cabana. “We don’t need tax increases, we need responsible spending and program cuts to bring our fiscal house in order”.

“More importantly, says Cabana, where are these additional revenues generated by these new tax increases going? Will they really go towards property tax relief, or will they be diverted for other purposes as has happened with other increases?”

Cabana, a longtime champion for shared services in Morris County, has been a member of the Freeholder Board since 1997 and served as mayor of Boonton Township for six years and committeeman for eleven years. In addition, Cabana is the former President of the Morris County League of Municipalities and past President of the New Jersey Association of Counties.