To the Editor:
PILOTs (Payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) are essentially tax breaks, and once again Hopewell Township appears to be considering yet another 30-year tax break for a multi-billion-dollar company. The anticipated tax break will go to, not an Amazon, which at least would bring jobs to the region, but to developers of both affordable housing and market rates homes, in total more than 2,000 homes on the west side of Scotch Road.
The township’s Feb. 19 slide presentation, which has not yet appeared on their web site despite their pledge to do so, provided a summary only of the potential benefits of such a PILOT.
This “financial tool,” they tell us, would bring in revenue that could fund road repair, pay off debt, and fund Fire and Emergency Services.
Were these simply tax payments, 55 percent would go to the schools. The Township Committee tells us, they will pay their share to the schools. Well, not every township enacting PILOTs has forwarded those monies to the schools. The result is obvious. Schools, facing many new students from such housing, have a fiduciary responsibility to raise that money, and they can only do so by raising taxes.
I am not alone in believing that bringing thousands of new school-aged children will raise our taxes, but I have been unable to engage the committee members on this point. John Hart tried to make this very point, but he was ignored.
Believe it or not, Committee Member Blake actually claimed that more students in the schools will save us money. Her comment was made with such earnestness that some may accept it. But her perspective makes no sense whatever to me. Her sloppy logic is distressing. Apparently, the Committee is getting ready to sign a redevelopment agreement for the West Side of Scotch Road, and soon thereafter, introduce the tax break PILOT for the developers.
The township claims that they are in “serious discussions” with representatives from the School and from the Fire Companies. These issues are too important to be treated in secret. A Task Force must be convened to involve Fire and School representatives more formally, to make sure that they get their fair share from any agreement fashioned by the Hopewell Township Committee.
There is no need to be concerned if you agree with Ms. Blake’s faulty logic that bringing more students to the district will save us money. The creation of Brandon Farms required the construction of a new Elementary School. The proposed new development will be much larger than Brandon Farms, but the Township Committee remains oblivious to the impact of their actions.
Cheryl Edwards
Hopewell Township
