Proposed cuts unfairly penalize N.J. towns
If residents of Middlesex County's smaller towns were still standing behind Gov. Jon Corzine, his plan to cut their municipal aid should be enough tomake themjump ship.

Corzine's proposed state budget slashes property tax relief for North Brunswick by $463,000, or two tax points, and for South Brunswick by $421,000, or one tax point.

The move will amount to a direct hit on the pockets of residents in each of these towns.

Admirably, local leaders are not content to sit back and let it happen. Town officials, who were in the process of - or had finished - preparing this year's budgets when they received the news, have lashed out against the plan.

North Brunswick Mayor Francis "Mac" Womack said he believes his town could be penalized for exhibiting fiscal responsibility over the past few administrations. He said he hopes the state takes control of the situation and does not put the onus solely on the municipalities themselves.

South Brunswick Mayor Frank Gambatese said that cutting taxes by $400,000 would be "impossible." If that cut is spread out over the course of two years, it could be easier to manage, he said.

If not, Gambatese said, taxes would have to go up.

Local towns already share some services, and it is true that they should look to partner if they can save money by doing so. Regardless, such agreements take time and analysis.

Sudden aid cuts that bring about local property tax increases are not the way for the state to encourage shared services. Corzine and the state Legislature should put a stop to this ill-conceived proposal.