Glassboro, NJ Rewarding Local Shoppers With Property Tax Credits
By David Madden
GLASSBORO, N.J. (CBS) -- The South Jersey town of Glassboro is among a growing list of communities in the Garden State now offering a program that helps residents pay off their property taxes by using a customer loyalty card when they shop locally.
The "Shop Glassboro" program is the brainchild of borough councilman Hector Cabezas, who got the idea from a North Jersey town.
Residents sign up for the program online, then patronize any of about three dozen businesses taking part in the program.
"When you pay for your goods, you also give them your Shop Glassboro card," Cabezas explains. "They swipe it and you receive a tax credit." How much depends on the merchant.
The credit is reflected on the homeowner's third-quarter tax bill. And renters, who can also sign up, will get a check each July for the amount they accumulate in their account.
Cabezas says about $24,000 in credits are about to be doled out in the program's first year.