SAMPLE LETTER TO LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION

Dear _______________, (insert assembly representative or senator)

As Mayor of ___(your municipality)______ I want to bring to your attention the threat to $_(your PT-10 Revenue)__ in local revenue, which will be the result of diminishing business personal property taxes (BPPT).

All municipalities have felt the impact of losing $50 million in BPPT over the past ten years.  That erosion is expected to continue and accelerate.  This loss is caused by an antiquated tax structure that makes it possible to avoid this tax simply by using alternative technologies to accomplish substantially the same phone service. And the loss of this, and any other non-property tax revenues, inevitably forces us into greater reliance on increased property taxes.

I, respectfully, ask you to review the report of the State’s Tax and Fiscal Policy Study Commission, as well as the attached resolution and the information from the League of Municipalities. Please consider action on this, when you return to Trenton following the November elections.

Obviously, the tax needs to be modernized to account for technological changes. But it needs to be done so in a manner that does not force local officials into greater reliance on increased property taxes.

If you or your staff would like to discuss this further, please feel free to contact the League of Municipalities at 609-695-3481. You can speak to either Jon Moran, at ext. 121, or Michael Darcy at ext. 116.

Thank you for your consideration and for all that you do for the people of my municipality and our neighbors, throughout the Legislative District.

Very truly yours,