District 15 Legislators Hope to Hear First-Hand Impact Governor’s Budget Would Have on Mercer County’s Property Taxes, Seniors
TRENTON – Senator Shirley Turner and Assembly members Reed Gusciora and Bonnie Watson Coleman will host a special forum to provide residents of the 15th District in Mercer County with the chance to weigh in on the Governor’s proposed FY 2011 budget cuts and offer solutions to help mitigate the impact on seniors, middle- and low-income residents, municipalities and school districts. The town hall meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 25, 2010, at 6:30 pm at the Lawrence Township Police and Court building, 2211 Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville.
“My office has been inundated with residents who are simply beside themselves because they are being taxed out of their homes and their very way of life,” said Turner. “Hopefully this forum will provide an opportunity to engage in an honest dialogue with the people who are being impacted the most by these budget proposals.”
Mercer County is facing a loss of $23.2 million in school aid under the Governor’s proposed budget and Trenton, in particular, is facing a loss of $43 million in state aid, roughly 20 percent of the city’s total budget. In light of this, and many other cuts, the legislators decided to host a town hall meeting where residents can gain an in-depth look at the proposals and have their voices heard.
In light of the ongoing budget hearings being held in Trenton where advocacy groups and other organizations are given the chance to weigh in, the legislators noted that it is important to provide this forum locally during non-business hours so individual residents have the opportunity to voice their concerns. Therefore, the legislators hope to limit public testimony to residents only, rather than organizations, 2advocacy groups and other special interests. However, everyone is encouraged to submit written testimony so that their feedback will be heard regardless of whether they cannot or do not wish to speak publicly.
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