Unhappy with taxes, Ocean man says he’ll ‘burn the mayor’s house down’

OCEAN TOWNSHIP (Monmouth) — There are certain thoughts you should keep to yourself.

Police said on Saturday morning they got reports that someone had posted on Facebook that he'd "burn the mayor's house down" over a recent tax increase.

The Facebook post was traced back to 75-year-old Arthur Morse, who was arrested and charged with making terroristic threats.

Mayor Christopher P. Siciliano told the Asbury Park Press that Morse's isn't the only one exceptionally upset.

"Some people didn't like the fact that their property values and taxes went up. Some people are reacting to it very emotionally. They're not being rational," Siciliano told the Press.

The mayor told the Press  another resident had come to his door and threatened him in person. According to the Press, while the municipal tax rate went down this year, the average property value went up more than $50,000 after a recent reassessment by Monmouth County — meaning many residents would still wind up staying more.

A forum is scheduled to be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night to address resident concerns about their taxes at the Town Hall.

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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com