I've had the opportunity to interview Corzine on several occasions when he has visited Jackson and Toms River in the past. This time, you could tell he is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. As he entered the municipal building Monday afternoon, he joked that there were so many smiling faces - something he hasn't been seeing recently due to the current state of the economy and budget. The residents applauded Corzine as he entered and I don't think they expected to have a chance to sit down in a private round table with the man in charge. But they did! About 25 residents packed the small council chambers and had a one-on-one with him. Topics included everything from the Senior Tax Freeze program to the fiscal troubles in Atlantic City. One gentleman spoke about how he used to enjoy gambling at the shore resort but can barely afford heating his home this winter. Another resident sat and reminisced about the "good old days" when things were more financially stable.
Governor Corzine worked to keep the morale up and said eventually things will get better and we will continue to weather the storm. Corzine says "it is very important that we work together and remain diligent during these tough economic times." In regards to his budget, he explained how the spending plan shrunk from $33-billion-dollars to $29.8-billion and "when you take $3.2 billion out of the budget, there are lots of elements, people, programs and other matters that are not getting treated like they would in better financial times." He also stated "we are all making sacrifices during this not only statewide issue, but the nationwide crisis."In regards to the Senior Freeze Rebate, Corzine says “so many of our seniors and disabled citizens are struggling to make ends meet during this national recession and the expansion of the Senior Freeze program is aimed at providing property tax relief to thousands on fixed incomes who may not have qualified previously. I really encourage our seniors to take advantage of this program and file their rebate applications as soon as possible.”
Representatives from the Division of Taxation’s Taxpayer Services Outreach Bureau were also on hand to provide assistance. It can be somewhat confusing, so I will try and explain it in easier terms. Those eligible to receive direct assistance from the program are individuals 65 years of age or older who have paid property taxes and are homeowners. This includes seniors in mobile home parks as well as those receiving federal Social Security benefits. Qualified recipients are directly reimbursed by the state for the difference between the amount of local property taxes paid in the "base year," and the amount of property taxes paid for the reimbursement year.
The current income limit of approximately $53,000 will increase to $60,000 for tax year 2007, $70,000 for tax year 2008 and $80,000 in tax year 2009. That means residents who previously did not qualify because their income was too high could now be eligible for a reimbursement.More information about the program is available on the Division of Taxation's web site which you can reach from the news link on our web site at wobm.com or wobmam.com. For phone assistance, the Property Tax Reimbursement Hotline number is 1-800-882-6597 and they are in the office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
When all was said and done, most of the residents I spoke with spoke favorably about the Governor. One man said he applauds Corzine and gives him a lot of credit for coming to talk to the public when people tend to point a finger at him for the state's fiscal troubles. One woman said she was coming by to drop off a water bill, saw a crowd and decided to pull up a seat.
Before leaving, Corzine spoke to me and some other media outlets. I asked him about the state of the unemployment fund which had run out of money. He wants to assure all New Jersey citizens receiving unemployment benefits that you will still receive your checks and not see any changes. He also stated they have the situation
well in hand.
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