Tax Hikes, Debt, and Utility Raids are Becoming the New Normal in Parsippany. It Must be Stopped.

In the last weeks, the Parsippany Township Council began hearings on the 2023 budget following the public’s calls for transparency. We were thrilled to see so many passionate residents in attendance opposing the massive tax hikes we’ve seen under the Barberio administration. Public budget hearings must be a consistent part of the budgeting process to ensure every Parsippany resident can understand how and why our tax dollars are being spent.

It’s worth examining the long history of financial mismanagement that has led our community to a proposed tax increase of over 18% in just two years.

Under the first Barberio administration, millions of dollars in water and sewer utility fees were raided to balance the township budget. Normally, taxes and other regular income sources should cover general budget expenses, while utility fees should be used to fund our water and sewer infrastructure. But between 2012 and 2017, the utilities borrowed $15 million for long-term needs, with $2.5 million of that being interest. This kind of borrowing for long-term planning isn’t wise and puts a financial strain on the residents when the debt needs to be repaid.

Despite this fiscal crunch, Mayor Barberio chose to borrow from our future to fuel his reelection campaigns. In both 2013 and 2017, while up for reelection, the Mayor and Council passed budgets with a “zero-percent tax increase,” increasingly raiding your utility fees to cover the gap. The township’s operating deficit continued to grow, kicking the can down the road until the bill came due.

After Mayor Soriano took office in 2018, the Council voted to pass all four of his budgets, which began to reduce the long-term financial burden on our residents. Utility raids were eliminated by his final year in office. In all, taxes increased about 14% under Mayor Soriano.

Mayor Barberio raised taxes by that same percentage just in 2022, his first year back in office.

Now, Parsippany residents are facing a further tax increase and new utility fee raids. In total, if passed by the Council, Mayor Barberio’s 2023 budget will result in a tax increase of over 18% and utility fee raids totaling $3.3 million in just two years.

These continued tax increases are putting a burden on Parsippany residents and families, and making our community increasingly unaffordable to live in. And this is not the only problem. What’s being missed due to these utility raids is the ability for Parsippany to plan for smart, sustainable infrastructure. Strong infrastructure allows all of our lives to run smoothly. Flooding is increasing, infrastructure is crumbling, water and wastewater systems are aging, our water supply is threatened, and our electric grid is at risk.

Your water and sewer bills are not being spent on water and sewer projects. The Mayor and Council are bonding for these projects, borrowing dollars and incurring debt that we will all pay in the long run. Our utilities need to keep their fees. This administration needs to start thinking responsibly for the future, or we will continue paying higher taxes for a lower quality of life.

The Parsippany Green Team’s volunteers worked with the past administration to bring dollars to our township for these issues, reducing the burden on taxpayers. We have a robust Green Team with dozens of active residents, but the administration now refuses to work with these dedicated local volunteers.

These are not partisan issues.  Surrounding towns are taking advantage of the financial opportunities to make their communities durable in the face of increasing development, severe storms, and care for the wallets of their residents. It is a win-win to strengthen our infrastructure while bringing needed dollars and resources to Parsippany. Why is Mayor Barberio leaving this money on the table?