CAI-NJ Sep.2016

"...community association owners must press legislative initiatives to expand the breadth of the Municipal Services Act."

MUNICIPAL SERVICES... from page 39.

table manner is understandable but difficult to implement. It would seem that the reluctance of municipalities to increase tax revenue through raising taxes, even to bring equity to all taxpayers is never a politically popular position to endorse; unless there are more beneficiaries of equality than what the status quo currently affords. It therefore appears that as long as the inequitable condition of “double tax- ation” continues with respect to munic- ipal services, community association owners must press legislative initiatives to expand the breadth of the Municipal Services Act. Presumably there will come a time in the future in which the voice of community association own- ers, who are mindful of and advocate to their respective state legislators,

storm sewer lines and longer sanitary sewer lines?” By preparing proposed legisla- tion to expand the services covered by the Municipal Services Act, the Community Association Institute’s New Jersey Legislative Action Committee, is working to address the obvious inequities inherent in community asso- ciation owners paying maintenance fees which are used to maintain and replace capital improvements as similarly situated neighbors, not part of a community association, are not required to pay for beyond their municipal taxes. Like many legislative initiatives, the concept of distributing municipal services in a fair and equi-

against being “double-taxed,” will be heard in the New Jersey legislature. The pendulum hopefully will soon swing in favor of those persons who, like their predecessors, can convey to their legislators the fairness of the Municipal Services Act treating all municipal residents equally for municipal services. The New Jersey Legislative Action Committee has identified expanding the breadth of the Municipal Services Act as one of its top priorities and with the support of its membership, is hope- ful that such a change is attainable in the near future. n

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