Plumsted seniors offered free tax return services

PLUMSTED - Senior citizens in Plumsted who need assistance in completing and filing their federal and state income tax returns in advance of the April 15 deadline will be able to receive that help for the first time.

According to Mayor Ron Dancer, Township Committeewoman Ada Roberts, the Township Committee's liaison to senior affairs, initiated the effort through the Ocean County Office of Senior Services.

The county senior services office, in cooperation with the AARP/VITA volunteer tax assistance program, has arranged for an experienced and trained volunteer tax aide to be available at the Plumsted library to provide one-on-one assistance to the taxpayer in completing their federal and state tax returns, according to the mayor.

The service will be available the first Monday of each month, February through April, (Feb. 5, March 5 and April 2) from 1-4 p.m. by appointment. To determine qualification for this free tax return assistance program and for a list of items to bring, call the Ocean County Office of Senior Services toll free at 1-800-668-4899.

If qualified, call the library at (609) 758-7888 to schedule an appointment.

With the winter heating season in full swing, low-income senior citizens face the reality of having to pay for their rising utility costs. With that in mind, the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is launching an effort to better inform seniors about the availability of energy assistance programs and how to apply for them.

The Low Income Home Energy Assis-tance Program (LIHEAP) helps pay for heating costs while the Universal Service Fund (USF) helps make utility bills affordable by providing a monthly credit on electric or natural gas bills or both. Receiving assistance from either of these programs will not affect the "Lifeline" benefit some seniors already receive, and in fact, qualified seniors can receive all three benefit programs, according to Dancer.

For more information on these programs call the Ocean County Office of Senior Services toll free 1-800-668-4899 or call the DCA at 800-510-3102.

Dancer announced that with the assistance of new Township Committeeman Mike McCue, who was a former section chief at the state Department of Environmental Protection, Plumsted was awarded a $39,247 grant from the state's Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund on Jan. 3.

The mayor said this funding will pay for a preliminary assessment and site investigation on the vacant lot on Main Street next to the New Egypt Press building. The committee is considering the purchase of this vacant lot for a public parking yard as part of the downtown redevelopment plan.

The next regularly scheduled public meeting of the Township Committee will be Feb. 7 at 8 p.m.