The Moorestown Council approved payment of $3,045,000 to the non-profit group MEND for existing low income housing at its meeting on Nov. 13, 2017. This large payment was not to develop or create new low income housing, but rather merely for MEND to keep the 101 units of low income housing that have been within Moorestown for the past 10+ years within the low income guidelines. This means that Moorestown Taxpayers have already paid $3 million + all of the "hidden" costs that go along with that type of housing in order to continue to satisfy the State-imposed requirement of "affordable housing" in our Town. By hidden costs, I mean the costs of providing services and education to households that pay $0 taxes (or very reduced property taxes) toward our Town. For instance, one existing low-income rental development has 18 units of 2 and 3 bedroom apartments. In addition to Moorestown taxpayers paying approx $540,000 to keep those units in the low income plan (calculated at $30,000 per unit), the taxpayers are paying for the schooling of the students that come into the school system from those 18 units. That entire development of 18 units pays a total of approx. $12,998 per year in property taxes (or less than $750/year per unit). If there is only 1 student in the Moorestown school district from that development, the cost to educate that 1 student is more than the amount the entire development pays in taxes. There are approx. 85 other similar low income units spread throughout the town and operated by MEND. In addition to the 101 units that MEND operates, there are hundreds of other "affordable housing" units in Moorestown that the taxpayers subsidize. These units were all added into the taxpayer base over a period of many years, not all at once as the Council is plannnig with respect to the low income housing development of 150 units on Hartford Road. My point is that the Moorestown taxpayers are already making significant contributions in support of low income housing. We are meeting our obligation to support affordable housing by subsidizing these 500+/- units that already exist in our Town. One person recently commented at the Council meeting last month that she supports low income housing and that we "should help our fellow man". That is not the issue. There are charitable groups already in existence that can build, buy or rehabilitate housing to meet that goal. Forcing the Moorestown taxpayers to continue to pay millions of dollars is not equitable. The issue is our ever-increasing property taxes, particularly when considered in light of the new proposed federal income tax plan that seems likely to pass which will significantly reduce the ability to deduct our local property taxes when we pay our federal taxes. Further, this is not a case (as some have suggested) where this Group is trying to keep low income housing out of Moorestown. Rather, this is an issue of fairness and accountability to the Moorestown tax payers and residents. Council is planning add the low income housing stock by adding 150 units all in one large development. And, Council is eventually planning another 50+/- units of low income housing at another location, that one is on Westfield Road. Please note that there are no developments of low-income rental units nearly as large as the one that Council is planning for Hartford Road, which will consist of 150 units all clustered together. Indeed, in the neighboring towns of Marlton, Medford, Mount Laurel, Haddonfield, etc., I am not aware of any single low income housing rental development that contains 150 units all clustered together. We all understand that rising property taxes in NJ are assumed every year. But, in addition to all of the other increasing costs we face in Moorestown (my taxes have increased an average of $500/year, you may have a similar experience) every year, what will happen to our taxes when 150 new low income units are built and 150 new families move into our town without paying any property taxes or school taxes (as is believed to be the case if the developer of the project is a "non-profit" entity). How many of our taxpaying neighbors will be "taxed out" of their houses? This is not to mention that the Council is planning to donate the land (12.5 acres of farmland on prime real estate) to the developer of the project and that Moorestown tax payers will likely have to pay for the millions of dollars it will take to connect the development to the Mount Holly MUA and for the fees associated with that service into the future since Moorestown does not provide sewer services to that part of town. We are currently fundraising to retain well-qualified professionals (an attorney and professional planner) to get involved in the pending lawsuit between the Township and the Fair Share Housing Center, Inc., to ensure that the Moorestown Taxpayers are being considered in any decision reached between the parties to the lawsuit and the Court. We met our first goal of having sufficient funds to hire a lawyer. We are now raising funds to hire a planner. If you are interested in contributing to this important cause, please mail a check payable to "MARIFHO Group, LLC" to our group Treasurer care of: 207 Eagle Court, Moorestown NJ 08057, or go to our "gofundme.com" page. Thanks.