Governor murphy halts homestead rebate, amato says that relief needed during covid-19

Governor Murphy Halts Homestead Rebate, Amato Says That Relief Needed During COVID-19

Posted by
1 min read
April 29, 2020

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ –  Mayor Carmen Amato, of Berkeley Township today said he wants to see Governor Murphy reinstate the homestead rebate plan in New Jersey.  The program provides property tax relief in the form of a credit to eligible homeowners  and in 2017, 60,906 residents in Ocean County qualified for the Homestead Program, which provided an average of a $221 credit for the May 1st second quarter property tax payment.

In his town, which has a high senior citizen population, Amato said  he has 8,700 residents that qualify for the Homestead Program, which is the highest number of residents in the state.

The State of New Jersey has announced it has temporarily frozen almost one billion in spending due to COVID-19 and of the programs it is freezing is the Homestead Program.

“This action is untimely and unconscionable, given the number of residents affected by COVID-19 related layoffs and furloughs of New Jersey residents who will now be unable to make their property tax payments,” Amato said.  “We urge Governor Murphy to direct the Treasurer to find other sources of funding to temporarily freeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reinstate the Homestead Program to provide property tax relief to qualified residents who require such relief, especially during these times of economic uncertainty.”

As for Berkeley Township, Amato said after learning Murphy has extended the late penalty window for property taxes, he and the township council will host an emergency meeting to discuss implementing that new payment window in Berkeley Township.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss

Exit mobile version