To the Editor:
The city of Bayonne should change its name to “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.” I say this because of what our mayor and infamous city council have done to financially ruin our city and to put confiscatory property taxes on its homeowners.
This June the city received $30 million from the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Agency (BLRA) for the sale of land at the former Military Ocean Terminal (M.O.T.) to the Port Authority. After obtaining this money, in July, when finalizing the municipal budget they raised property taxes 3.2 percent or $2.25 per $1,000 valuation. Why did property taxes not go down but up? What did they do with this $30 million? Where is the accountability of what they did with this money?
Since 2008 when Mayor Smith won the runoff election due to former Mayor Doria resigning, up to 2013 he has received new finances of $185 million. With all this money obtained, city property taxes increased by 26.08 percent. This opportunity could have reduced property taxes in half, saving homeowners and rent payers thousands of dollars. Where is the accountability of what they did with this money? It is the people’s money and not the mayor or city council’s. Are you listening?
There are 20,000-plus property owners in Bayonne and yet you cannot get 20 people to attend a city council meeting to speak out against this tyranny. Where is the voice of the Chamber of Commerce? I cannot help the people of Bayonne by myself. I have tried but our mayor and city council refuse to answer my questions. What are they hiding? It’s time we all, by the thousands, find out.
The facts that I have presented to you are all true. They can be verified by checking city records and the municipal budget.
LEONARD R. KANTOR