Pallone Calls on Governor Christie to Disclose More Detailed Reports on Sandy Recovery Effort

Highlights Need for More Transparency Surrounding Hired Contractors, Rebuilding Grants

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement today urging the Christie Administration to release additional information detailing how Sandy aid funds are being spent in the State of New Jersey:

“It has been almost two years now since Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey and devastated our communities, and we still do not have sufficient answers regarding how relief funds are being spent. The 24-page integrity monitor report that was finally released last week, the first and only one we have seen since Governor Christie signed the bill requiring the state to assign monitors into law in March 2013, was entirely unacceptable. We need more detailed integrity monitor reports so the public can understand what mistakes have been made in the Sandy recovery process and how Sandy aid funds are being spent in New Jersey.

“I am particularly concerned about the lack of detail regarding the contractors utilized by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA). The integrity monitor report does not include any information regarding the work performed by these contractors, and the state has still not provided the public with any details on what these contractors have accomplished with millions of dollars in recovery funds. Thousands of homeowners are still awaiting grants to repair and raise their homes more than a year and half after Sandy struck. They have a right to know what DCA is paying these contractors for and whether they are doing their job properly.

“My office has also received many complaints throughout the Sandy recovery process about a lack of transparency and publicly available criteria for DCA-run recovery programs, particularly the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation, and Mitigation (RREM) Program. I am troubled that only $133 million in RREM funds has actually been dispersed and implore the Christie administration to expedite this important aid to homeowners who are still trying to rebuild.

“Thousands of New Jerseyans have noted that rebuilding funds have been slow moving with many still awaiting payments to assist with the cost of repairs to their homes. It is outrageous that Sandy relief for homeowners has been delayed for so long.

“I fought hard in Congress to pass the Sandy aid package by assuring my colleagues that Sandy recovery funds were desperately needed and would be spent wisely. We need to know where the money is, what contractors are doing with it, and why it is not in the hands of those who need it to repair their homes. One 24-page report in 16 months is hardly adequate oversight. It is time for the Christie Administration to be straight with New Jerseyans and help residents rebuild.”

State HMPG Elevation Program Deadline Sept 15

From Middletown Alerts:

This is a reminder that the deadline to register for the Elevation Program under the state Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), is Sunday, September 15, 2013. All residential elevations will run through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA) State run elevation process.

Please follow the link below to register for the program.
http://www.renewjerseystronger.org/hmgp

The state has also set up the following hotline
855-SANDYHM (855-726-3946) for homeowners

Need Sandy Recovery Assistance? Visit the Mobile CDBG Center

From Middletown Alerts

Residents recovering from Superstorm Sandy are urged to visit the Tonya Keller Community Center on Tuesday, June 25th to meet with representatives from the Department of Community Affairs (DCA).

With the recent announcements of assistance available through the Stronger NJ Business Loan Program and the “reNew Jersey Stronger” Housing Initiative, the Christie Administration will host a Mobile CDBG center on Tuesday, June 25 from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm in Middletown at Tonya Keller Community Center located at 50 Bray Avenue, to discuss these latest recovery programs and assist local homeowners and businesses in their recovery and rebuilding efforts.

Representatives from the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will be on hand to meet with affected residents and answer questions related to the housing and business assistance programs available through the federal Community Development Block (CDBG) grants. Homeowners and business owners interested in attending can expedite the process by bringing relevant documentation related to the issue they are facing.

The “reNew Jersey Stronger” Housing Initiative was launched May 24, 2013 to encourage and assist homeowners to reconstruct and resettle in their primary residences. The Stronger NJ Business Loan Program will be launched in July to help local businesses recover and expand within storm-impacted communities.

Additional Details
Visit www.renewjerseystonger.org for more information for housing assistance and resettlement assistance.

• Frequently Asked Questions about the Resettlement Program
• Frequently Asked Questions about the Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) program

The following two hotlines have been set up by the state to answer all homeowner and business owner questions regarding elevations:

• 855-SANDYHM (855-726-3946) for homeowners
• 855-SANDYBZ (855-726-3929) for business owners

Mobile Governor's Cabinet in Highlands March 18, 9 am to 5 pm

On Monday, March 18th, the Christie Administration will host a Mobile Cabinet in Highlands to help residents rebuild and recover following Superstorm Sandy. All day long between the hours of 9:00am to 5:00pm, residents affected by Sandy will have access to representatives from the Departments of Banking and Insurance, Community Affairs, Environmental Protection, the Business Action Center, SBA, and FEMA to answer their questions and help resolve any issues they have.

Location: PTAK Towers Community Room 215 Shore Drive, Highlands, NJ, Street parking is available.

Middletown Accelerated Tax Sale Scheduled for December 27th

by Linda Baum

This post provides notice of the pending sale. Residents may wish to settle unpaid balances now to avoid a tax lien on their properties.


On Thursday, December 27, Middletown Township will hold a sale of unpaid property taxes and sewer fees. The sale will include property taxes owed for 2012 – including amounts owed for the current quarter – and sewer fees owed through June 30th.

A list of affected properties, sorted by block and lot number, was published in the December 7th edition of the Two River Times weekly and is available here until December 13th: http://trtnj.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/December-7-classified.pdf. The Times’ link will become inactive after the new edition comes out on Friday, so the public notice has been saved to an archive site and is accessible here: http://archive.org/details/TaxSaleListForMiddletown.

The Two River Times is not as widely read as the Asbury Park Press, and regardless, many people get their news online these days. I am providing a heads up about the tax sale on Patch to give folks a better chance to address the matter timely to avoid the headache and extra expense of a tax lien on their properties. I am told that those on the list have been notified by mail, but many of us fall behind on our paperwork – especially this time of year – and letters don’t always reach recipients.

The published list was compiled by the Township on or about November 26 and does not reflect payments made since then. Amounts owed include interest and also some sale-related charges which are required to be paid even if accounts are settled ahead of the December 27 sale date. Property owners had until November 16 to pay 4th quarter taxes this year without accruing interest for late payment.

Middletown Township and TOMSA first held accelerated tax sales in the month of December starting in 2010. Prior to that, sales were typically held in April, including a sale in April 2010. The shift in 2010 provided a one-time hit of additional revenue that year.

The December sale means that 4th quarter taxes are being sold only about six weeks after they are due. That short timeframe was true the last two years as well but is particularly burdensome to residents this year in the aftermath of the storm.

At the November 14th meeting of the Township Committee, I asked officials if the sale of 4th quarter property taxes could be postponed until the spring of 2013 to give residents more of a cushion to pay. The Township’s CFO, Nicola Trasente, explained that they couldn’t postpone the sale of 4th quarter taxes because there was a need to raise the revenue in 2012 for the purposes of developing the Township’s 2013 budget. If I understood him correctly, 2012 actual revenue is the basis for 2013 projected revenue in line with state rules, and any reduction in 2012 revenue would mean a bigger 2013 shortfall and tax increase.

I pointed out that the budget is a dynamic document that could be adjusted for additional revenue raised in the spring of 2013, ahead of the budget’s finalization and approval typically held in the summer. Mr. Trasente said that a budget vote could occur at any time, even in January or February, seeming to imply that the vote would occur earlier in the year than usual. (While I can think of at least one good reason for early budget adoption, it seems less likely in 2013 given the number of storm-related re-assessments). Trasente said that the Township had asked the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to waive the “revenue” rule, but that DCA officials said it was outside their authority to alter the rules and that permission would need to come from the Legislature or Governor.

As of the date of this post, 4th quarter unpaid taxes will be included in the December 27 sale. Inquiries can be directed to the Tax Collector’s office at 732-615-2086.

"Since when did Massachusetts being 'whiter' than New Jersey matter in the discussion of a 2.5 percent property tax cap?..."

That was the question asked by Assemblywoman L.Grace Spencer (D-Essex) when she heard a comment by Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Lori Grifa during today's special session of the State Legislature to discuss property taxes.

Spencer issued a press release short after hearing the remarks which stated "Since when did Massachusetts being 'whiter' than New Jersey matter in the discussion of a 2.5 percent property tax cap? Ask Department of Community Affairs Lori Grifa for an answer. Because I have no idea what the relevance could possibly be.

"A property tax cap is being considered for the benefit of all property taxpayers in New Jersey, regardless of whether they're black or white. For Commissioner Grifa to interject race in this discussion was inappropriate and unnecessary, and shows a lack of understanding of the issues at hand."

You can read more about it >>>Here

The answer to the above question happens to be "it doesn't", but it just goes to show you that some people will say anything in order to tow the company line!