In the wake of recent events with the Coronavirus Pandemic and associated financial recession, some residents of Berkeley Heights have had to put their work on hold and others have seen their savings/401K/IRAs significantly depleted.  Many residents are in desperate need during this national emergency.    

This also appears to be an ongoing trend.   One that does not appear to be going away soon.   US and Global financial markets are at a minimum showing uncertainty.   

Mayor Devanney and the Berkeley Heights Township Council, in order to address these issues, please postpone Q2 property taxes and revisit any excess spending you already planned into the 2020 budget.   

Taking this dire situation into account it would seem foolish to have our township engaging in an additional $7,000,000 ( $3m from Municipal plus $4m from BOE )  in new debt along with tax increases that we are seeing from the municipal building as well as a significant increase in the operating budget this year.

It would seem irresponsible for our local government to ask for its residents to pay even more in property taxes by bolstering spending when much of its constituency has had to cut back on their household budgets. 

Please consider postponing Q2 property taxes.  

In addition, have the Mayor, Administrator, CFO and Berkeley Heights Township Council revisit the 2020 budget taking these recent events into consideration and come back to us with a budget that is fit for this current fiscal situation.