Taxpayers will face harsh realities of budget

Mayor Mark Seda and his all-Republican Jackson Township Council have stepped up the rhetoric to justify their obscene 18-cent tax increase.

In case you haven't done the math, Seda's proposal to raise taxes 18 cents per $100 of assessed value of property is an increase in the municipal tax rate of almost 30 percent over the 2005 rate. Yes, the guy who ran on the "Taxpayers United" ticket and his rubber stamp council want to hike taxes 30 percent.

Here are some facts you might want to consider.

Fact 1. Seda campaigned in two elections as a reformer who wanted to end the pay-to-play system of political appointments.

Since the May election he has done nothing but appoint professionals like Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore to lucrative municipal posts at taxpayer expense. Gil-more, of course, funneled thousands into GOP coffers to pay for Seda's deceptive advertising.

Fact 2. Seda's election victory was partly facilitated by an unholy alliance with Jackson Democratic boss Richard Borys.

Newcomers to Jackson don't know the name Borys from Adam, but those of us who've been around the block a few times know that Borys always popped up when GOP guru (and now township administrator) Bill Santos needed a Democrat leader or elected official to do something stupid or sell out his side.

In his last incarnation as a township committeeman in 1990, Borys voted for a tax increase so huge it took Jackson Democrats eight years to elect a committeeman to a full term on the Township Committee.

In the 1990 election for committee after approving that tax increase, Borys and his Democratic running mate came in fifth and sixth out of six candidates.

Now Borys is back on the scene helping Santos solidify power while keeping a lid on any meaningful Democratic opposition.

Borys' wife has been reinstalled by the all-Republican administration as the township's highly paid personnel guru. Her job is to help Seda and Santos determine who gets employed and promoted by Jackson.

As if that were not enough, Seda appointed Mr. Borys to a paid position on the Jackson Township Municipal Utilities Authority with access to full health benefits.

When both sides in politics are controlled by the same group of insiders it is not surprising that opposition to Seda's larcenous tax increase has been muted.

Fact 3. Seda said we needed a "management efficiency" audit to identify and eliminate waste so he could refund "every penny saved" to the taxpayers.

As far as I know the results of the audit - which was authorized in January - have never been made public. When I inquired in late April as to the status of the audit no information was available.

Yet, both before and after the election, Seda promised workers in the Public Works Department that there would be no layoffs. Obviously the whole "management efficiency" audit was a charade to produce a campaign promise never to be fulfilled.

The reality here is simple and clear. The change of government gave Seda and Santos a rare opportunity to poach big-time bucks for themselves, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to blame it all on the prior administration.

The only remaining question is whether or not Jackson residents will fall for the scam. One thing is certain. Like it or not, you're going to get the bill. You can thank Mark Seda.

Bob W. Ryley

former aide to the

mayor and Township Committee

Jackson