(TRENTON) – Assembly Budget Chairman Lou Greenwald (D-Camden) released the following statement Tuesday as the Assembly Budget Committee heard from the Department of Education on the governor’s education and property tax relief cuts:
“The governor’s $1 billion school aid cut drove up property taxes across the state to record high levels and led to new school activity taxes, and taxpayers still won’t be better off under the governor’s new plan.
“It’s simple math – a $250 million school aid increase after a $1 billion cut equals another Christie property tax hike that will again unfairly hit middle-class and poor homeowners the hardest.
“The governor has failed to make education and property tax relief a priority, and because of it property taxpayers and children are paying a steep price.
“The recent decision by the Supreme Court’s special master that found the governor’s policies underfunded schools and hurt at-risk children should serve notice that’s it’s time for a change.
“Unfortunately, the governor has shown no interest in finding ways to break our painful addiction to property taxes. Hopefully he’ll want to engage in that adult conversation soon for the benefit of taxpayers throughout the state.”