TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River's Republicans say the 2018-19 New Jersey state budget is going to hammer Toms River taxpayers.

In a statement released earlier this week, the Republican members of the Toms River Township Council said "The 11th hour budget deal struck by Trenton Democrats will hammer Toms River taxpayers – especially when it comes massive school funding cuts that will drive up property taxes," referring to the agreement reached by New Jersey State Senate President Steve Sweeney, Governor Phil Murphy and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin. The state budget includes a 7.8 percent increase in state spending and a mix of individual and corporate taxes totaling over $1.4 billion, the statement noted.

"Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of a deluge of tax hikes coming out of Trenton that will drive seniors, millennials and jobs out of state and decimate working and middle-class families in communities like Toms River," said Mo Hill, Brian Kubiel, Maria Maruca and George Wittmann, the Republican members of the council, in a joint statement. "Locally, it underscores how critical it is that we elect Republicans here in Toms River to serve as a check and balance on the insanity in Trenton." The four also slammed the school funding reforms passed with the budget that are estimated to cost Toms River taxpayers and school children nearly $20 million over the next seven years.