Sometimes our Governor does something right for the wrong reason(s).

Earlier this week New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy vetoed bill S4289 that would have allowed an exemption for some school districts to raise property taxes on residents above the 2% cap.

Per NorthJersey.com, “About 40 districts across the state — including some that have slashed staff and programs in recent months — would have been eligible to take advantage of the law, had it been enacted.

Murphy’s veto was expected: As lawmakers vetted the bill, Murphy pointed to it as creating another burden on middle-class taxpayers, and instead revived his push for a higher tax rate on people with incomes of more than $1 million a year.”

I say bravo Governor Murphy! You may be a tax and spend politician, but you recognized the fact that the middle-class can not take anymore taxes.

This is what the Governor said about vetoing the bill from NJ.Gov, “Before middle-class property taxpayers have to again take it on the chin, we should be asking our wealthiest residents to pay their fair share through a millionaire’s tax. This legislation would have created a loophole in our existing property tax cap by making it easier to raise property taxes.

I strongly believe that issues as important to New Jersey residents as property taxes and education funding warrant more deliberation than this bill was given. State-level decision makers should not delay difficult funding decisions until the end of the legislative session and fast track what amounts to a tax increase on the middle class without first exhausting all other options.”

Well Governor just as a broken old fashioned clock can be right at least once a day, you have proved that you too can be correct and do the right thing for the taxpayers of New Jersey.

Furthermore from the full text, “in my first budget address, I proposed an increase in State formula aid to school districts of over $283 million while simultaneously calling on my partners in the Legislature to work together to modernize our current school funding formula. To improve certain inequities that had weakened the overall effectiveness of our school funding formula, I signed S-2, compromise legislation publicly championed by the Senate President that shifts State aid from overfunded districts to underfunded districts. While I was content to sign the legislation, I also recognized at the time that as S-2 is more fully phased in, there may be a need to revisit the issue of education funding for previously overfunded districts that experience difficulty raising enough money to contribute their local fair share, while maintaining high educational standards.”

So I now see that Murphy wants legislation that will as he says modernize the school funding formula; with that I totally agree. But I also want to see a system that makes the school systems use the monies that they are allotted more efficiently and a yearly auditing of how these funds are spent to make sure that we are getting our moneys’ worth without the bloat.

That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike