Four candidates vying for seats in 22nd District

Making New Jersey a more affordable place to live is a top priority for the four candidates running for Assembly seats in the 22nd Legislative District.

All the candidates say they want to lower property taxes, combine services among towns and make the state more appealing to small businesses.

Democratic Assemblyman Gerald Green said these difficult economic times call for cutting government spending and finding ways to streamline government on the local level.

"We can no longer live outside of our means," Green said. "We need to look at basic services -- fire, police -- very carefully, see if we are duplicating services and consolidate, share services."

Towns must be held accountable for how they spend money, and legislators need to track if towns have taken the necessary steps to try to consolidate with other municipalities, Green said.

"Towns that depend on state dollars have to buy into this plan," he said. "If a town can afford luxuries, best of luck. But anyone who has to depend on a state plan needs to show us a plan."

Former Scotch Plains mayor Martin Marks, a Republican, said the tax-and-spend tendencies that have occurred over the past 10 years have to end. His priority is to lessen the tax burden on residents and businesses because there is an overreliance on government money.

"The state is in a fiscal crisis. We're literally on the verge of bankruptcy," said Marks. "I am a strong proponent of convening a constitutional convention to address property tax relief."

The state with the highest property taxes is driving residents out, Marks said, and one way of alleviating the problem is to change the way schools are funded. He believes funds should be distributed to more districts than just a select few.

"School aid is being funneled into a handful of school districts, and you can't tell me hundreds of millions of dollars being sent to inner cities are effectively used," he said. "There needs to be an accounting for that."

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