Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1637-E1638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
12 DAYS OF SALT
______
HON. MIKIE SHERRILL
of new jersey
in the house of representatives
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Ms. SHERRILL. Madam Speaker, to conclude my earlier remarks on the 12
Days of SALT, I rise to include in the Record the testimonials of
mayors from New Jersey's 11th District attesting to the harm that the
SALT cap has had on their communities.
On this ninth day of SALT, a bipartisan group of mayors in my
district have shared with me, statements about how SALT is harming our
residents in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District. Today, I'd like
to share their words:
Mayor Molly Whilesmith of Sparta said:
``The exodus from New Jersey is nothing new. Our state and
local property taxes have been amongst the highest in the
nation for decades. New Jersey Snowbirds flocked South upon
retirement. The current trend is to sell the house and pack
the moving truck right after the youngest child graduates
from high school. The cap makes NJ much less attractive for
the average hardworking New Jersey Family.''
Mayor Keith Kazmark of Woodland Park:
``The full SALT deduction must be reinstated for the
benefit of New Jersey middle class families. Folks in our
area were hardest hit by this change in the tax code. 51% of
Woodland Park taxpayers pay more than $10,000 in local
property taxes and that does not include their state taxes.
That's over 1,800 residential property owners in our town.''
Mayor Bruce Harris of Chatham Borough said:
``The story for Chatham Borough is pretty simple. The
average property tax bill is about $14,100, so 40% is no
longer deductible. Obviously, that impacts people's pockets;
it also impacts housing values. NJ is a payer state--it sends
much more to the federal government than it receives back.''
According to Mayor Jeff Grayzel of Morris Township:
``We all teach our children to play fair, because fairness
in one of the key elements that makes our democracy the great
thing it is. However, the cap on SALT deductions is simply
unfair and penalizes the residents of New Jersey. Let's be
fair to all and drop this penalty on New Jerseyans.''
Mayor John Kelley, Borough of Caldwell:
``Caldwell taxpayers are directly impacted and blindsided
by the limits put on SALT deductions. Caldwell families
manage their finances and tax liability closely and for many
years have relied upon their state income taxes and Caldwell
property taxes to reduce their federal income tax through
itemized deductions. The impact of the limits on SALT
deductions are felt throughout our community.''
Mayor Michael Soriano, Parsippany:
``Parsippany is a community similar to many across the
country, but unlike towns in other states, Congress decided
to target our residents with a tax bill that limits their
ability to deduct state and local taxes. Homeowners in
Parsippany shouldn't have to pay more in federal tax dollars
when we know the money isn't coming back to fund our schools
or repair our roads.''
Our mayors are on the ground in our communities and know that the
SALT deduction
[[Page E1638]]
cap is harmful to our residents. This isn't a Republican or a
Democratic issue in our state. It's time for Congress to stop punishing
our municipalities and our taxpayers and reinstate the full SALT
deduction.
