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WHYYOU CAN’T AFFORD

TO LIVE IN N.J.

PROPERTY TAXNew Jersey had thenation’s highest averageeffective property taxrate in 2013, 2.38 per-cent, more than quadru-ple the U.S. average.

INCOME TAXOnly five states charge ahigher marginal, or top,income tax rate thanNew Jersey’s 8.97 per-cent. That helped NewJersey rank seventh-highest in 2013.

SALES TAXNew Jersey’s sales taxrate of 7 percent tiesfour other states for thenation’s second-highestrate. But New Jerseyexempts more itemsfrom the sales tax thanother states do.

BUSINESS TAXNew Jersey’s businessclimate was ranked lastin the nation in 2015. Interms of collections,New Jersey’s state cor-porate income taxcollections ranked sev-enth nationally at $257per capita in 2013.

Tax burden second-highest percentage in U.S.

MICHAEL SYMONS @MICHAELSYMONS_

New Jerseyans’ average overall tax bill is the second-highest in the United States,

measured as a percentage of income, according to a nationwide survey and analysis. The

primary culprit won’t surprise readers of the Asbury Park Press: It’s the property tax. ¶

Income taxes, primarily at the levels paid by the rich, and business taxes rank in the

top-10 nationally, according to Tax Foundation numbers. Taxes related to consumption,

such as the sales tax, rank in the middle. New Jersey’s gas tax — at least for now — is one

of the nation’s lowest. ¶ But it’s the property tax that pushes New Jersey’s state and local

tax burden to the second-highest percentage in the nation, See TAXES, Page 6A

Russian airliner crash in Egypt kills 224. PAGE 1B

11.01.15

VOLUME 136

NUMBER 261

SINCE 1879

@ISSUE 1AABUSINESS 6AACLASSIFIED 1DLOCAL 3ALOTTERIES 2A

OBITUARIES 16AOPINION 4AASPORTS 1CSUNDAY BEST 1EWEATHER 14C

Set your clocks back an hour today.

Did youremember?

Notwithstanding all their angst over property taxes,their had-it-up-to-here over wasteful spending andstalemated, unresponsive Trenton politics, fed up NewJersey voters are expected to produce a record-lowturnout in Tuesday’s election.

All 80 seats for the state Assembly are at stake to gowith county and municipal contests. The absence of at-tention-getting federal and statewide races underscorewhy New Jersey watchers predict scant voter partici-pation, even one of the lowest turnouts in years. But itisn’t just the underwhelming, off-year vote.

Recent revelations of squandered public money andother scandals — including the suspension of a judgewhose combined salary for working in nine MonmouthCounty municipalities is $322,674 — are also turning offvoters, said Ben Dworkin, the director of the RebovichInstitute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University.

“Studies have shown that there is a high rate of pub-lic cynicism about politicians and politics,” Dworkinsaid. “Even in a higher-turnout presidential election,you’ll have folks who feel they simply won’t make a dif-ference and can’t be motivated to come out and vote.’’

As taxpayers complain about New Jersey’s highest-in-the nation property taxes, public officials defend thespending as necessary to support high-quality schoolsand public services, from trash collection to social pro-grams. But the profligate spending also fuels an untoldamount of government waste and largesse for insiders.

ASBURY PARK PRESS FILE PHOTO

All 80 seats for the state Assembly are at stake, but arecord-low turnout is expected for Tuesday’s elections.

Residentsoutraged,but likelywon’t vote Record-low turnoutexpected on Tuesday

BOB JORDAN @BOBJORDANAPP

See ELECTION, Page 8A

Holmdel guitarist back in New Jersey after playing overseaswith Bon Jovi. STORY, 1E

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Complete coverage,SPORTS, 1C

ELECTION 2015