PROPERTY TAX INCREASE COMING TO BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Fuel Merchants Association of NJ:  6 of 9 of New Jersey’s National Blue Ribbon Schools will be hit with $2 Million Bill for Boiler Upgrade under New Murphy Administration DEP Regulations

TRENTON—Eric DeGesero, Executive Vice President of the Fuel Merchants Association of New Jersey, released the following statement today:

“Residents of Cliffside Park, Marlboro, Metuchen, Randolph, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, and West Orange can be extremely proud their schools were designated National Blue Ribbon schools last week.  However, what they probably don’t know is that these same schools are about to be hit with a huge bill to convert their boilers to electric heat under Governor Murphy’s Energy Master Plan NJDEP regulations which take effect on December 6.

“In fact, under these new regulations, approximately 1500 New Jersey schools will be forced to convert their boiler systems to electric at a price tag of approximately $2 million for each boiler retrofit and 4 to 5 times the heating costs.  If you think your property tax and energy bills are high now, just wait until Governor Murphy’s electrification plan takes effect.

“It’s also ironic that Governor Murphy last week announced the launch of his ANCHOR property tax rebate plan at Ridge High School, another school that will be forced to convert to electric at an outrageous cost to taxpayers. The Governor stated his plan, ‘…will deliver real, tangible property tax relief to both homeowners and renters…’ Unfortunately, what the Governor did not announce was the real, tangible property tax increases Bernards Township homeowners and renters will have to pay for his Energy Master Plan’s electrification of the boilers at Ridge High School, Liberty Corner Elementary School, Mt. Prospect School, and Cedar Hill School.

“The millions of dollars that will be expended for a mandate that the legislature has never authorized will be an anchor around the checkbooks of all New Jerseyans.  In order to avoid huge property tax hikes at New Jersey’s Blue Ribbon Schools and throughout the state, the Legislature needs to pass S-2671(Gopal) and A-3935(Moriarty), which would halt the building electrification mandate until a full analysis of costs can be developed and Legislative authorization provided.”