MAYWOOD BOROUGH, NJ (Bergen County) — As residents filed taxes Monday, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) laid out action he is taking to help lower taxes and claw federal tax dollars back to North Jersey towns, counties, and first responders — helping lower the property tax burden on Fifth District residents.
Gottheimer was joined outside a local Jackson Hewitt Tax Service branch in Maywood today by Borough Council Members Jacqueline Flynn and Louis Roer.
“Like most folks, I think taxes are far too high in Jersey. And they should be lower to make life more affordable for folks and for our small businesses. I’ve been working overtime on lowering taxes, since the day I was elected,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Co-Chair of the bipartisan SALT Caucus.
“Now, we’re clawing more of our federal tax dollars back to Jersey from Washington and away from the Moocher States to help take a major financial weight off our state, county, and local budgets, and help lower the property tax burden on our families. These federal dollars not only help keep property taxes down, but also improve our roads and bridges, our water infrastructure, transit, and medical services, and allow us to invest in our veterans, law enforcement, firefighters, and EMTs,” Gottheimer said.
Action Gotthemer is Leading to Lower Taxes in North Jersey:
- Clawing Federal Tax Dollars Back to North Jersey Counties and Towns, Lowering the Property Tax Burden On Our Residents: Since taking office, Gottheimer has helped claw 112% more federal tax dollars back to North Jersey from Washington and away from the Moocher States — investments that help lower the property tax burden on our residents. For 2020 alone, the federal tax dollars clawed back amount to an average savings of $415 for each household in the Fifth District — not including the support from the COVID-19 relief packages.
- Securing Federal Tax Dollars to Help North Jersey First Responders: Fire departments, police departments, and EMTs across Bergen, Sussex, Passaic, and Warren Counties are now clawing back more investment through federal grant programs: $2.35 million in 2020 through FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), more than $955,000 since 2016 through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, $3.5 million worth of equipment in 2020 through the LESO 1033 excess resources program, and more than $2.7 since 2016 through the Community Oriented Policing Services Program (COPS).
- Making Life More Affordable: Gottheimer recently unveiled a new Affordability Agenda for Jersey, which includes working to get fuel and energy prices down, cutting day-to-day costs like prescription drug and childcare costs, helping cut through red tape and bureaucracy, and cutting taxes for hard-working families, including by reinstating State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction.
- Restoring the SALT Deduction: Gottheimer has led efforts in the House to restore the State and Local Tax deduction, to give an immediate tax cut to hard-working, middle class families in Jersey. The House passed legislation late last year that will help finally restore the SALT deduction and cut taxes for hardworking New Jersey families. Gottheimer is pushing the Senate to pass the restoration of the SALT deduction and get it to the President’s desk.
