OCEAN — Today, as New Jerseyans prepare for the introduction of early in-person voting on Saturday, Democrats Vin Gopal, Eric Houghtaling, and Joann Downey are reminding voters of their work and continued commitment to making Monmouth County a more affordable place to live and keeping taxes under control.

“Since they have entered office, Gopal, Houghtaling and Downey have fought tirelessly to make Monmouth County a more affordable place to live,” said former Tinton Falls Councilman Gary Baldwin. “Whether it’s voting against new tax increases like the Shore rental tax or securing property tax relief for our veterans to reduce their tax burden, they are committed to fighting for residents to be able to continue to live and thrive in Monmouth County.”

“Getting taxes under control for our residents has been one of our central priorities,” said Gopal, Houghtaling, and Downey. “While we’ve made progress toward that goal, we are still fighting hard to incentivize consolidation and shared services at every level of the state — which is our best chance to reduce property taxes — and urging New Jersey’s congressional delegation to reinstate the state and local tax deduction.”

Some of Gopal, Houghtaling, and Downey’s top legislative achievements on tax issues include:

— Voted against bills that would increase taxes on New Jersey residents, such as the Shore Rental Tax.

— Opposed efforts to increase the unemployment tax burden on our small businesses.

— Passed legislation requiring all tax bills include information about New Jersey’s tax relief programs.

— Authored legislation that included Monmouth County in the “Shared Services Pilot Program,” which aims to reduce property taxes by consolidating municipal services within the county.

— Authored ballot measures that would have extended the eligibility of the veterans’ property tax reduction to residents of continuing care retirement communities.

— Secured full funding for the Property Tax Reimbursement Program, also known as the “Senior Freeze,” which helps seniors stay in their homes on fixed incomes.

— Introduced legislation that appropriated more than $14 million in property tax relief funds.

— Authored legislation allowing for virtual property value assessments and appeals hearings, which protects residents against inaccurate property evaluations.

— Authored a bill that would create a School Funding Formula Evaluation Task Force responsible for determining a significant chunk of residents’ property tax burdens.

— Supported legislation that protects citizens from having certain pension and retirement income taxed.

Senator Vin Gopal, Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, and Assemblywoman Joann Downey are running for re-election to serve the 11th Legislative District, which covers 18 municipalities within Monmouth County.

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