This article was originally published in the September 2017 Trenton Downtowner.
It’s been a hot Trenton summer. And while the weather is one factor, the City of Trenton is feeling the heat in three contentious areas:
1.) The citywide tax revaluation was sent out in early August with some residents and city business owners being shocked by the increases — some seeing their taxes tripled.
A statement from Mayor Eric Jackson provides an overview: “In 2010 the Mercer County Board of Taxation ordered Trenton municipal government to conduct a citywide revaluation of more than 30,000 residential and commercial properties in the city. The last revaluation was in 1992. We selected New Jersey-based Appraisal Systems, which has done this work in numerous other municipalities in the state, to undertake the comprehensive analysis. Appraisal Systems was very communicative with taxpayers leading up to and during the revaluation, urging community members to connect to them if they had questions or concerns. Although the company completed its assessment and issued preliminary assessment notices in January, 2017, much work remains, and we appreciate that this is an ongoing process of education and additional communication.”
Information regarding the tax revaluations also appeared during January in area newspapers and on Trenton blogs, including the blog “And Another Thing.” Run by Trenton resident, broadcast media professional, and zoning board member Kevin Moriarty, the blog examines Trenton business issues.
In January Moriarty wrote “You won’t like what you read” and estimated that nearly 2,000 property owners would see increases of 25 percent or more.
He then noted, “Who in the world will buy Trenton property at anything close to current market prices that come with a property tax burden so astronomically high? We already are burdened with some of the highest property taxes in New Jersey, and the value we get for those high taxes is abysmally low.”
In a recent blog he noted, “My feeling is that this entire revaluation process is fatally flawed, and will lead to the ruination of many of the city’s residential neighborhoods and all of its privately owned commercial base. Business owners get that and made their feelings known (at a recent council meeting).”
Currently more meetings involving residents, business owners, city officials, and appraisal company representatives are in process. And Mayor Jackson said his administration is committed to ensuring tax fairness for all Trentonians. “We are assembling a tax taskforce comprised of city staff and statewide experts to address the impacts of the revaluation to help Trenton residents and businesses continue to grow.” Stay tuned.
2.) Another hot topic is Trenton’s drinking water. During routine testing, Trenton Water Works (TWW) — a city-owned facility that also provides water to parts of Ewing, Hamilton, Lawrence, and Hopewell — found elevated levels of lead in 14 different locations.
While TWW sent out letters alerting its customers, officials in other townships weren’t advised. “Every time this happens, we never get a phone call,” Hamilton Health Officer Jeff Plunkett told the Trentonian. “The lack of professionalism of a non-call is so disturbing it’s unbelievable.” Added Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann: “I didn’t know anything about it until I got a letter in the mail like everybody else. That is troublesome.”
TWW says the likely problem of elevation is linked to homes “equipped with pipes and fixtures that were created using a lead-based soldering technique that is no longer in practice.” Citizens can get more information by calling 609-989-3640 or going to trentonnj.org.
3.) Some public art work is apparently too hot to handle, or to see. “Helping Hand” is a six-foot-tall hand in an OK symbol created by 16 young people. They were involved in arts project conducted by the anti-homeless group HomeFront and run in cooperation with Grounds For Sculpture and Trenton-based community building organization Isles. Noted area sculptor Eric Schultz led the project.
All was okay until the statue was put in place on a small city lot in the Old City section — where Isles is located and is working to develop an arts district.
According to the Times of Trenton, city hall then received calls saying the sculpture looked like a gang symbol and some gang members apparently posed in front of it. Then, according to the report, the police director said “while the police at large didn’t have a problem with the art piece, it could be interpreted as a gang sign.” Jackson then spoke with Isles CEO Marty Johnson and the sculpture was moved off city property.
Soon members of the Trenton community were on social media and bringing up the police department’s instigation of the removal of another Old City District artwork three years ago: a mural of Michael Brown, whose shooting by a police officer ignited the Ferguson, Missouri, riots. In that case there was no question about the image and its intended interpretation.
As Trenton Council of Civic Associations officer Bernard McMullen wrote, “I understand the idea of art being differentially interpreted . . . However, this issue, at best, is an opportunity for discussion and not ill-conceived, reactionary decisions under the pretense of leadership. Had the administration followed through on its campaign promise to appoint an Arts and Culture Commission, it would have had a forum for a reasoned, balanced public discussion.”
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