It's the Brian Lair show on WNYC.

I'm Bridget Bergen, senior reporter in the WNYC and Gothamist Newsroom, sitting in for Brian today.

Now we'll continue our election series, 30 issues in 30 days.

Today, issue number nine, taxation in New Jersey. Ask almost anyone in New Jersey what makes

the state so expensive and the first answer is usually property taxes. The average bill is now

more than $10,000 a year, according to an NJ spotlight analysis

of data from the NJ Department of Community Affairs. And that's before you even get to income

taxes and the sales tax. So it's no surprise that taxes and what to do about them are at the

center of this year's governor's race. Both Mikey Cheryl and Jack

Chattorelli say they'll tackle New Jersey's affordability crisis, but with very different

approaches. Joining us is John Ritemeyer, Budget and Finance Writer at NJ Spotlight News, to help us make

sense of how New Jersey got here, what the candidates are proposing, and what the next

governor could realistically change. Hey John, welcome back to WNYC. Thank you, and thank you for having

me today. And listeners, particularly those of you in New Jersey, we want to hear from you.

When you think about affordability in New Jersey, which taxes hit you hardest? And on the flip side, are there public services you feel you get your money's worth from, like schools, transit, or something else in your community? What would you change about New Jersey's tax system? And what do you want the next governor to change about New Jersey's tax system?

Give us a call the numbers 212-433 W-N-YC. That's 212-433-9692. You can call or text that number.

So, John, property taxes. Perennial issue number one for a lot of New Jerseyans, why are they so high and why has it been

so hard for governors of both parties to bring them down?

Yeah, I think the answer to that question, why they're so high is because they pay for so

many services in New Jersey at the local level that people care a whole lot about. So when we

talk about property taxes,

the largest typical single portion on somebody's property tax bills

...