Residents warn of rising taxes and criticize past administration during public comment

PARSIPPANY — During public comment at the May 7 board meeting, two residents raised concerns about rising local taxes and past fiscal management.

A resident who identified himself as Jack Ray (speaker 16) congratulated the board on the budget but warned of an expected property‑tax increase and contrasted five‑year growth figures he calculated: "the school budget in the last 5 years ... has only grown by 16% whereas the town budget has grown by 28%." He urged attention to pilot negotiations and how increases affect taxpayers.

Richard Suarez (speaker 13) told the board he believed current tax increases stemmed from earlier financial decisions, alleging improper borrowing and misuse of funds: "Money was stolen ... borrowed from the waterworks and other sources to give the impression that we had a balanced budget." Suarez also criticized how pilot programs were awarded, saying they favored developers and limited public input.

Board leadership did not take formal action in response to the public comments at the meeting; members noted the remarks and indicated no immediate response would be provided during that session. The board retains authority to follow up through committee review or public records requests.