Team Santiago to Re-Consider NJ Motorsports Park Tax Break
At the August 20th Millville Commission meeting voters
and taxpayers came out and voiced their opinion about the huge tax break for
the motor sports park that was on the agenda. Team Santiago listened! The Pilot
for the NJ Motorsports Park extension to 2038 was NOT approved. Thanks to all
the residents who attended the meeting, who spoke at the podium, and who emailed
or called Team Santiago. Your voices were heard.
However, this matter is not over and done with. On September
3rd there will be a presentation by the racetrack as to why they
deserve the PILOT extension. The citizens will be allowed to voice their
concerns. Then once again Team Santiago will decide whether or not to extend
the huge tax break NJMP has been enjoying. If approved it means the racetrack
will not be paying their full taxes until at least 2033. It is imperative that
once again the residents of Millville attend the September 3rd meeting and be
heard.
Here are the facts:
1.
Ms. Udalovas argued that NJ Motorsports Park pays
taxes in addition to the PILOT. Let’s hope so! Those taxes are for additional
development outside of the racetrack and have nothing to do with the issue of
extending the PILOT. It’s what is called
a red herring, designed to divert attention from the real issue which is a half
million dollar a year tax break for the track for the next 15 or 20 years.
2.
If there were no PILOT the racetrack would be
paying over $700,000 per year. Presently they are only paying $175,000.
3.
Presently a little over $28,000 goes toward
school taxes which is 90% less than what would normally go toward school
expenses.
4.
The track promised over 1500 full and part-time
jobs and there are only 149.
5.
The track promised the city would receive over $1
million from the sports and entertainment tax. The city has received $0. The
track is keeping those tax moneys for itself.
6.
The PILOT was supposed to be $350,000 a year and
somehow it was cut in half with no explanation whatsoever. And most official documents still list the
payment at $350,000. No one has been able to explain how that happened?
When is enough enough? Tell team Santiago NO PILOT.
#TaxTheTrack
#TaxTheTrack
Comments
This is just a plan to avoid the public's displeasure.
It is not complicated. The purpose of an abatement is to attract a beneficial tax ratable. The payoff is when the Pilot expires, the taxpayers benefit. When the Pilot is accepted by the City and the Ratable, the length of the Pilot and the loss of those years of taxes are balanced against the future benefits. This was done and all parties agreed to it.
NJMP did not complete or comply with their end of the Contract. In the Pilot they agreed to build out $40 million of improvements. That would have meant $1.4 million in taxes per year starting in the 16th year. They only built half of that.
The City did not uphold the taxpayers rights under the Contract. They did not collect the $350,000 agreed to in the Contract. There is no clause reducing the $350,000 if the NJMP did not complete their build out. The retro-active reduction to $175,000 the City allowed, was never ratified by ordinance, resolution or any other legal public form.
Now the current Commissioners would like to change our current form of taxation. They want the NJMP to explain why keeping the NJMP taxes at arbitrary numbers significantly lower than the rate everyone else pays is necessary to continue all the wonderful benefits the NJMP provides.
This "NEEDS BASED SYSTEM" is not provided for in our state constitution. If a decision as to taxes is made by five commissioners and a speech, there will never be any fairness in the system. I am sure that nearly every taxpayer can make a speech as to why their taxes should be lowered. Can you imagine it--- A line of people explaining the good that they do for the community and the things they will do with the money they don't have to give to the city. Donate some to charity, send your children to college, fix a leaky roof or repair your home, get rid of your old car that is polluting the environment, feed your family, stop foreclosure --- the list is endless. I want an application!
The fact that this commission is considering this at all is ridiculous. Subjecting the taxpayers to the whining and begging from the NJMP is tortuous. I can hear it now, "The motor in my $400,000 race car blew up and I need money to replace it or you won't hear me race it on Saturday mornings" "The tires on my car need to be replaced or I can't win a race. Your tax abatement will help me win" "We won't be able to build another reduced taxed building or garage and working on my car outside is hot" "Please, we don't want to pay as we agreed."
Enough already. Stand up like big boys, pay what everyone else struggles to do. Take your bankruptcy windfall and pay on the value of your improvements. I'm sorry your business projections were not accurate. Maybe if the school the business plan author went to had some tax money they would have been better educated and GOTTEN IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.