To the Editor:

Last week Galloway Council approved its annual budget with a 6.9 cent tax increase.

I voted against the budget.

I cast this vote even though I believe my colleagues on Council worked very hard to cut municipal spending and reduce our workforce to hold the line on taxes.

But Governor Jon Corzine's drastic cuts to municipal aid and his failure to reform the nearly bankrupt state pension system made it impossible for Galloway Township to continue to hold the line on property taxes, as it has done for the last several years.

I refuse to pass the costs of Governor Corzine's inability to govern onto the Galloway taxpayers.  By voting in favor of this year's budget, I would have been approving of the way in which the state government has yet again short-changed Galloway Township.

I will not be part of the Trenton politicians' game and that is why I voted no.

Our Assemblymen, John Amodeo and Vince Polistina, have endorsed an alternative budget plan to Governor Corzine's , which replenishes funding for municipal aid that will reduce Galloway's municipal tax burden and provides for additional property tax relief.

I urge you to call your legislators and ask them to vote for this plan because until our State leaders change the way they are doing business, we will continue to have these funding problems in our own community.

Councilman Jim Cox

Galloway Township