Ihave been a homeowner and taxpayer in Upper Freehold Township for the past five years. In that time, my taxes have increased dramatically, apparently due to unchecked spending.

Some, of course, is due to the fact that even after the citizens of this democracy rejected a school budget last year, the vote of the majority of the citizens was overturned by the School Board. (Hard to believe in America, but it surely did happen). Apparently, the votes only counted if the school board agreed.

Upon receiving the latest correspondence from Upper Freehold Township, it appears my taxes will increase yet another 10 percent this coming year. Since this is far in excess of any cost of living increases, it is unfathomable how this seems fair, reasonable or just to anyone. Then, after reviewing the local papers, a little light has been shed on the issue.

It appears that, although Upper Freehold and Allentown share a school system, Upper Freehold's citizens pay significantly more than Allentown's citizen's for the same exact service. "How," you might ask, "is that possible, in a country that is supposed to be fair and equitable?" Trust me, many of us are asking the same question. "What proof," you might ask, "do I have?" Let's take a look.

So why is Allentown paying so much less than Upper Freehold for the same services? Our governing bodies and our elected officials should be asking the same question. For some reason, however, they are not. It appears though, that Upper Freehold is being punished for complying with the mandate to reassess its properties, while Allentown is benefiting from its failure to do so.

Upper Freehold's reassessment took place in 2006. According to an article in the Jan. 5, 2007, Examiner (Jane Meggitt), Upper Freehold's last property revaluation was in 1997, with the average assessed value of a single-family residence at that time being $252,400. After the revaluation in 1997, the average assessed value of a single-family home doubled to $504,100. As of April 2008, the average assessed value was purportedly $526,400 (April 30, 2009, Examiner).

In an April 30, 2009, Examiner article, Jennifer Kohlhepp noted that the passed budget would result in a minimal $20 increase in school taxes for the average Allentown household, with a whopping $464.10 increase in school taxes for the average Upper Freehold household.

That's right, the beleaguered citizens of Upper Freehold are facing an increase 23 times greater than the fair citizens of Allentown. Is someone going to now claim that the houses in Upper Freehold are worth an average of 23 times more than the houses in Allentown? If that were the case, the average assessed value of the homes in Allentown would have to be around $21,900, which is 23 times less than the average assessed value in Upper Freehold. We all, of course, know that they are not.

So the questions remain: Why are the residents of Upper Freehold picking up the tab for the residents of Allentown? Why aren't Allentown residents paying their fair share? Does this mean that, on an annual basis, the average resident of upper Freehold pays 23 times more for school taxes than the average resident of Allentown? Do the students from Upper Freehold get an education that is 23 times better than the students from Allentown? Maybe we need to have an outside auditor assess this situation. Or maybe, just maybe, our local lawmakers can simply do what is right.

We certainly look forward to an explanation.

Patrick and Janine Brennan

Cream Ridge section

of Upper Freehold