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Mayoral Candidates Talk Taxes
By Eric San Juan
It's election time. And that means it's also time to talk taxes.
Mayor Dan Kelly and Council President Stephen Acropolis are squaring off in a battle to be the next mayor. Running on the Democratic and Republican tickets, respectively, Kelly and Acropolis say they will bring very different financial perspectives to the table.
Taxes are an issue in every election, and this one is no exception. Because of changes at the state level regarding how much townships can spend, taxes are an issue all New Jersey towns have grappled with in the last few years. Key is the state's four percent spending cap, which in the coming years will press towns to make due with less.
When it comes to money, Acropolis said there are stark differences between him and Kelly. As mayor, Kelly introduced a 12-cent tax rate increase earlier this year. Acropolis said he fought to cut that increase down to 4.9 cents on the tax rate.
And such has been the case over the last several years, Acropolis said. Tax increases proposed by Democratic administrations, and cut back by the Republican council. It's an approach he said he'd take into the mayor's office - and an approach the township will find increasingly vital.
Acropolis said the township will be facing budget crunches in the wake of the state's four percent budget cap, along with other financial trends. That means Brick needs a mayor with experience when it comes to money matters.
"It is our job. The buck stops here," Acropolis said.
Kelly's philosophy differs. He said his approach is to surround himself with good people. In an April interview with The Brick Times, Kelly said, "I'll be perfectly honest, I have no background in budgets, especially not a $71 million budget … I trust my (township professionals) and I trust their judgment."
Kelly said one of his top priorities as mayor, if not the top, is balancing how to keep taxes manageable for residents while continuing to provide the township services they expect. That, he said, is going to take some tough decisions. It's the reason why he felt he had to propose a larger than usual tax increase earlier this year. To be prepared for next year, too.
"It's not an issue that's going to go away," Kelly said. "It's going to be very difficult for towns to continue to provide the services they have in the past."
But when it came to his proposed tax increase, Acropolis called Kelly's attitude "cavalier." A mayor can't balance his books on the backs of the taxpayers, he said. According to Acropolis, the Republican council has been able to get township debt below 2004 levels. Part of that have been efforts to have department heads give a better accounting of their needs.
There have been other such efforts, too. After taking control of the township council several years ago, Acropolis and the Republican council were slammed for implementing higher fees for recreation department programs. Critics said the move would prompt a drop in participation. Acropolis said the opposite has taken place. The "pay as you go" fees have actually helped the department expand programs.
But Kelly said cuts by the council have been driven in no small part by one-time shots of revenue such as liquor license sales and property sales. He said he saw that philosophy in this year's budget.
"Where I disagreed with the council is that I feel they have used smoke and mirrors to artificially keep the tax rate down," Kelly said. "One-shot deals are not happening any more."
"You can't pay your bills on one-time revenue, because that doesn't replace itself," Kelly said.
For more on the campaign platforms of Acropolis and Kelly, see page 5 of this edition of The Brick Times. Also, visit our news archives at micromediapubs.com. For a detailed story on taxes in Brick, see our April 26 edition.
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