Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • August 10, 2011 Franklin Lakes Council takes positions on proposed legislation by Frank J. McMahon The Franklin Lakes Council has gone on record in support of one piece of proposed legislation in the state legislature and in opposition to another. The council has urged the legislature to swiftly pass Senate Bill S-2762 and the identical bill in the Assembly, A-4084, to provide municipalities with an additional tool to prevent increasing property taxes. Senators Barbara Buono (D-18 Middlesex) and Joseph Vitale (D-19 Middlesex) have sponsored the bill in the Senate and Assemblymen Albert Coutinho (D 29 Essex/Union) and Craig Coughlin (D 19 Middlesex) have sponsored the bill in the Assembly. The measure is currently in the Housing and Local Government Committee in the Assembly after passing the Senate 25-12. The bills would permit a municipality to pay commercial and industrial property tax refunds for the 2010 and 2011 tax years over the subsequent three local budget years. The council’s resolution points out that municipalities rely on and encourage business development in their communities for economic growth, but successful commercial tax appeals shift the burden to the rest of the taxpayers. The proposed legislation would provide municipalities with a temporary tool to assist in planning and controlling their budgets during an influx of tax appeals. “The governing body of the Borough of Franklin Lakes supports the need for the legislation to address property tax refunds for commercial and industrial properties,” the resolution states, “and we firmly believe that by allowing phased refunds on successful commercial and industrial property appeals, these bills will provide substantial relief for many residential taxpayers.” The council also noted that according to the New Jersey League of Municipalities, 150 municipalities representing a cross section of the state, recently participated in a survey that measured the extent to which property owners filed and won tax appeals in 2010. Survey participants reported property value declines of more than $87,900,000, which resulted from 19,788 tax appeals filed in 2010, which represents an increase of 43.7 percent over 2009. “While a municipality will often experience an increase in tax appeals because they have conducted a revaluation,” the council’s resolution states, “only five of the 150 municipalities which participated in the survey indicated that their 2010 appeals resulted from revaluations compared to 23 of the participating municipalities which conducted revaluations in 2009 when fewer tax appeals were presented to the county tax boards.” The council highlighted the fact that the 2010 spike in tax appeals should be attributed to the economic down-turn which lowered property values and placed increased stress on the income of property owners. Although the survey was a snapshot in time, it can be used to project what might follow in 2011 and beyond, since the reductions granted by the county tax boards will have a multiplier effect, officials said. “While New Jersey and this nation struggle to recover from one of the worst economic crises since the Great Depression, (continued on page 16) Our hat’s off to: Girl Scout Troop 1202 from Academy of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Franklin Lakes. Marlene Griffin and her fellow troop leaders came to our rescue by hosting a Food Drive and fundraiser. Thanks, girls! The troop included Gabby Cali; Heidi, Aimee, and Maria Hannoush, who were assisted by their brother Joey; Haley Griffin and her sister Carly; Julia Helliesen; and Hannah and Gracie Velarde. Moms who assisted were Terry Velarde, Maria Helliesen, and Gretchen Hannoush. These girls brought in a ton of food for our pantry and raised almost $400 for us. They are working on their Bronze Award. The residents of Pine, Joan, and Drake streets in Wyckoff got very creative this summer. Renee Fagan approached several neighbors and formed a committee with Nancy Canova, Elaine Canto, Claire Giachino, and Jan Grogan. They canvassed the neighborhood, and found there was tremendous interest in having a block party. The women then sent out an e-mail, saying the party would also be a charitable event. They asked each household for donations to be used for the event and for a charitable contribution for ECF. Over 30 families attended the event. They raised almost $200 for us and had a great time at their party. What an original idea! Thank you! Special thanks to Justin, Cynthia, and Christopher Hadler of Allendale for bringing us their amazing book collection. We know our kids will enjoy reading each and every book, just as the Hadlers did. Help David: Seven-year old David lives in Bergen County with his parents, grandmother, and three siblings. When he was just nine months old, he was diagnosed with cancer in both of his eyes. David has been in and out of treatment for the past six years, and had to have one of his eyes removed. Although he is managing with a prosthetic eye and corrective glasses, he was diagnosed with a secondary cancer and suffers from kidney damage. He recently had a round of chemotherapy that made him very ill. As a result of years of dealing with surgery, treatments, and running back and forth to a variety of hospitals, David’s parents are struggling financially. Mom took a part-time job to help supplement their limited income, but they are falling behind. ECF has been providing David’s family with groceries, holiday and birthday gifts for David and his siblings, and ongo- ing counseling. They are still in need of a mobile phone with minutes for mom and new eyeglasses for David. Please help us help this family. Your contribution to ECF will ensure that we can continue to best meet their needs, and ensure a brighter future for this child. When you go grocery shopping and something non-perishable is on sale, please buy some extra items and drop them off for our families. ECF uses monetary contributions to cover the costs associated with providing free services to any New Jersey child who has cancer. Approximately 70 cents from every dollar goes towards direct care for our families. If your company has a charitable giving program, let us know. We are excited about joining our new friends at the Ridgewood Art Institute for our next big event: a November wine and cheese reception. We are also planning our Second Annual Bash, which will be held in early February. Call us if you would like to get involved. We are looking for volunteers to help us plan. Please call us. ECF is seeking bilingual caseworkers all over the state. This is a paid position. You can help in a variety of other ways. Consider turning your next event into a fundraiser for ECF, and ask guests to bring checks or gift cards to be used by our families. Your efforts help us to help families like David’s in many ways, including sending a caseworker to visit the families at home or in the hospital. Kids are welcome to help, too. Many have held sales or lemonade stands and contributed the proceeds to ECF. Emmanuel Cancer Foundation was named for a boy named Emmanuel who lost his life to cancer almost 28 years ago. ECF relies on the local community to help support our families. Many of them do not have the financial or emotional support to help them get through a major illness like cancer. Please remember: We do not charge anything for our services. We rely on you! If you have a few hours a week to spare, consider becoming a volunteer, or just stop by and meet with us, and see what ECF is all about. Call (201) 612-8118 before you stop by. Please do not leave items at the center without checking with us first. Our storage space is limited. The Northern Regional Center is located at 174 Paterson Avenue, Midland Park, NJ 07432. Visit us on the web at www.emmanuelcancer.org. As always, thank you for helping the children and their families!