Editor, Gazette-Journal:

The recently approved Gloucester County budget is not only ridiculous but an insult to the citizens who pay taxes here and our underappreciated county employees.

With a 4.1 percent reduction in the value of real estate, the board of supervisors was faced with having to raise real estate taxes just to stay even with last year’s revenue.

Only they refused to publish and consider a large enough real estate tax increase, even when asked to do so by some citizens. As a result, employee positions were left unfilled and those remaining did not get the proposed meager 2 percent raise they so richly deserve after going without a raise for so many years. Why they stay is a wonder.

Then the board foolishly cut the boat tax to zero at a loss of $400,000 in revenue in the hope of gaining what one board member estimates will result in $2 million in long-term revenue. This estimate was offered without any study at all of the advantages or consequences of such an act...