JOINT STATEMENT THANKING NJ GOVERNOR AND

LEGISLATORS FOR PROVIDING TAX RELIEF

(PROSPECT PARK, NJ) – The three Manchester communities embodied the vision of the Governor to support education and provide tax relief to the residents of New Jersey by reaching a compromise about additional aid their regional high school received after the June 30^th budget agreement. Manchester Regional High School received $1.339 million in additional aid, half of which was applied toward tax relief. The other half was allocated by the Manchester Regional High School Board toward improvement projects and educational initiatives in the next school year. This year’s aid will help stabilize taxes in all three Manchester municipalities.

“Under the leadership of Governor Murphy, and with the support of our 35th legislative district representatives, the State is finally doing the right thing by the tax payers of Prospect Park, Haledon, and North Haledon,” said Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah (D), a tireless advocate for the school and taxpayers. “We look forward to working with our State officials and the Manchester administration to provide further tax relief for our communities and improve educational programs at the high school.”

Along with the efforts from all three mayors led by Mayor Khairullah, the additional state aid to Manchester Regional High School also stems from the advocacy in Trenton by the 35^th legislative district representatives Senator Nellie Pou, Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter, and Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly through various avenues to make sure it passed and made it through the budget, ensuring that the funding was accounted for to support the school and taxpayers of each municipality.

This increased funding to the Manchester Regional High School District is good news for students, parents and taxpayers,” said Senator Nellie Pou (D-Passaic/Bergen). “Regional high schools across the state should serve as models for the benefits of consolidation, but the funding formulas for these districts have in the past obscured the benefits derived from several communities forming a regional high school.

Pou added that “Manchester Regional brings together students from Haledon, North Haledon and Prospect Park – three unique communities. The diversity of the Manchester Regional student body is an asset. Yet the tax burdens, different in each of the three municipalities, historically has caused tension and litigation. This additional state funding will lighten the load carried by taxpayers in these three towns, thanks to the leadership and advocacy of all three mayors.”

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“On behalf of the residents of North Haledon, I want to thank Mayor Mohamed Khairullah for spear-heading with our State legislators, Nellie Pou, Shavonda Sumter, Benjie Wimberly, the additional State aid to Manchester Regional High School, and the members of the MRHS School Board, working with the mayors of the three sending districts, for passing on half of that aid for tax relief to the tax payers of the three municipalities,” said North Haledon Mayor Randy George (R).

“I applaud the mayors and their administrations for keeping the needs of their residents at the forefront and making sure their voices are heard in Trenton,” said Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter (D-Bergen, Passaic). “New Jersey has some of the highest property taxes in the nation and our residents feel it every time they pay their tax bill. Finding more ways to provide tax relief to residents remains a top priority.”

“We have seen some of the highest property taxes in the state within this district,” said Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Bergen, Passaic). “Our residents deserve to see tangible property tax relief in real dollars. This is long overdue for boroughs like Prospect Park, Haledon and North Haledon, thanks to the diligence of the borough administration, it got done.”

“The Manchester School Board accomplished exactly what the additional state aid was intended to do: Help taxpayers with some tax relief while making sure that needed improvements and programs were addressed,” said Haledon Mayor Domenick Stampone (D). “I’m thankful that the board members considered the recommendations of the three Manchester mayors and that our 35th District legislators fought so hard for the additional aid.”

For more information on the news, please contact Intashan Chowdhury, Administrative Assistant at (973) 790-7902 ext. 529 or chowdhuryi@prospectpark.net.