Kevin Cimei for Mayor

Vote for Kevin on June 3rd

CONTINUE THE PROGRESS

  Issues in Clinton Township

Control Property Taxes
We are doing more with less because your Council and Township staff have worked hard to reduce waste and operate efficiently. Under past administrations, taxes increased up to 15% annually. We didn’t have any control over how our money was spent. Through disciplined and rigorous financial management, during the past 3 years we have kept tax increases under 3% annually.  As Mayor, I will continue to work closely with the Council to keep taxes down while providing the high-quality services our residents need.   

Where do our tax dollars go?

Municipal taxes represent less than 10% of your tax bill. About 71% of our property taxes are used for education, and most of the increases in taxes are due to rising education cost. Our administration has changed the way we do business to stop the high rate of tax increases. We listen to taxpayers. You voted down the school budget again this year. For the past two years, we have worked closely with the Board of Education to find reasonable reductions while keeping important educational programs, maintaining quality of education, and retaining our teacher staff.

What have I accomplished for you?
  • Kept spending within rate of inflation
  • Respected voters' decisions to reduce education cost by over $4.5 million while maintaining high quality education
  • Reorganized town hall to reduce cost and pass the savings to you
  • Saved $150,000 per year by creating our own municipal court
  • Made it possible for our police department to bring in $200,000 in grant funds this year
  • Instituted a 5-year capital program to ensure that your tax dollars are spent wisely and transparently
  • Expanded recreation and open space programs using program fees and state/county grants
  • Attracted beneficial tax ratables resulting in over $50,000 in tax revenue annually
  • Expanded shared service agreements with adjoining towns to increase revenues and cut costs
My Approach

As I’ve done for three years, I will help reduce taxes by continuing to:

  • Lower the cost of municipal services
  • Monitor our school budgets and implement voters' decisions  
  • Fight state mandates that increase local taxes
  • Manage growth to reduce costs to tax payers

Reduce Urban Sprawl

Over the last ten years Clinton Township has added over $1 billion in ratables. So why did taxes increase 100%? One reason is poorly planned growth. Urban sprawl and poor planning increase expenses for municipal services and schools, resulting in rising taxes.

What is COAH and how does it impact taxes?

The Council on Affordable Housing or “COAH” is the State agency that manages the building of affordable housing in New Jersey. New COAH rules will require the Township to build over 1,300 new homes in the next 10 years. We are diligent in meeting our affordable housing obligations, but COAH‘s new increases will almost double the size of schools and drastically increase the cost of education. That level of growth will tax our waste treatment facilities and potentially pollute water sources for Township residents.

 Fight Unfunded State Mandates

Clinton Township is reducing spending to help control taxes.  The State has increased spending over 7% each year.  Trenton has been trying to balance its reckless spending by tapping into the pockets of municipalities, especially rural ones like Clinton Township. It's unacceptable and the State has come to learn that Clinton Township will not be intimidated, bought, or treated unfairly. We fight for our residents.

I am working in a leadership role with local towns to: 

STOP proposed cuts in municipal aid by $150,000
 
STOP the closing of Round Valley Recreation Area

STOP the increase in COAH housing requirements in Clinton Township, which were estimated to cost over $10 million

 What these changes mean to your taxes

The average homeowner pays $850 per year in municipal taxes.
 
In 2008, each homeowner will pay an additional $50 to offset the cut in state aid.

The new COAH housing rules was estimated to cost each homeowner another $250 per year. The true increase will be much higher to our taxpayers. 

 My Accomplishments and My Plan to Protect Clinton Township

Changed the State Plan to give the Township more control over future growth

Updated Land Use Plan to protect drinking water

Assumed leadership role in working with State and County legislatures and other towns to restore aid from the State and maintain services at State parks

Lead joint action by local towns to overturn new COAH housing rules to reduce the tax burden on you and prevent pollution

Continue Open Space program to help manage growth and control property tax increases