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Vicdeluca
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 17, 2001 - 9:16 am: |     |
Below is the statement that I read prior to last night's public session. I am posting another thread with background information about the revaluation in Maplewood.
The statement is a report on the actions taken by Township up through Tuesday night. I can assure you that the Township Committee heard the concerns raised by the 59 speakers. The Committee decided to ask the County Tax Board for another two week extension so that we can continue to review the assessment numbers. We also have tentatively arranged for another public meeting, at the high school, on Monday, January 22nd. I will have more information about that later today.
Maplewood's Tax Revaluation
Statement by the Maplewood Township Committee
January 16, 2001
The Maplewood Township Committee is committed to implementing a revaluation that is fair and equitable as required by the New Jersey Constitution and New Jersey Statutes. In pursuit of this goal, the Township Committee obtained extensions of reporting deadlines from the Essex County Tax Board, traveled to Trenton to meet with state officials, discussed concerns with Certified Valuations, and reviewed the revaluation process with the Maplewood Tax Assessor. Additionally, Committee members have spoken to hundreds of residents about the issue.
On Friday, January 12th, the Committee agreed with the recommendation from the Maplewood Tax Assessor that he review, town-wide, sales data from 1998 through 2000 as part of his determination of current market conditions. The Maplewood Tax Assessor will make adjustments by neighborhood and for individual properties where, in his opinion, they are warranted. The Tax Assessor is working with Certified to complete this review and make the adjustments. This review process will be completed within a week and in time for submission to the Tax Board on January 24th.
Adjustments that are made by the Assessor will be available to the public as soon as possible after January 24th. The Township must first receive the information from the data entry firm and the printer. Additionally, for those homeowners who met with a representative from Certified and who are to receive an adjustment to their preliminary assessment, a letter listing the new assessment will be mailed from Certified on or about February 1st. Also, on or about February 1st, all property owners will receive an official assessment notice from the Township, in the form of a post card, as they do every year.
The key dates in this process are as follows:
*On January 24th, the Maplewood Tax Assessor will submit new valuations to the Essex County Board of Taxation.
*Between January 24th and February 16th, homeowners can meet with the Maplewood Tax Assessor. The Tax Assessor has the power to make adjustments to the valuations that were submitted to the County Tax Board on January 24th.
*April 1, 2001 is the deadline to file a tax appeal with the Tax Board. If you file an appeal that the Maplewood Tax Assessor believes is justified, the Maplewood Tax Assessor may settle the appeal without the need for an appearance at the County Tax Board by the homeowner.
There have been suggestions to delay the reassessment or implement it in a different way. Unfortunately, in our discussions with the state officials, it became clear that there were few options available. There was a discussion of the Revaluation Relief Act of 1993, which was enacted to address problems in Camden, NJ. The law, which allows for a three-year phase-in, has never been used and raises constitutional questions. It requires the completion of a revaluation impact study that has to be reviewed and certified by the state. Based on our analysis, this law could not be implemented for this tax year, if at all. Additionally, any delay of implementing the new assessed values could leave the Township open to thousands of appeals to the Tax Court from homeowners who know that their houses are overassessed. The success of such appeals would significantly increase the tax rate for 2001 and potentially negate the impact of any phase-in. There are no other legal procedures for phasing in a revaluation. State officials also made it clear that the municipal assessor, in setting current values, cannot take into consideration the reassessment's potential impact on future sales.
There have also been questions about Certified's contract. On January 12th, the Township Committee met with a representative from Certified and then went into an executive session to discuss the firm's contract performance, possible breaches of contract provisions, and potential remedies. The two issues discussed in depth were the standards for the revaluation and the property owner review process. The Township Committee feels that there are some contractual performance issues but that these issues can be addressed administratively without litigation.
Additionally, a question has been asked if this is an effort to raise more tax dollars. It is not. The revaluation readjusts property assessments to reflect market value. The amount of tax dollars raised is a factor of the tax rate, which has not yet been set for 2001. The town, school board, and county have not yet adopted budgets for 2001. The Township Committee is beginning hearings next week on its budget with an eventual adoption date on July 17th. The school board is discussing its budget during the next month and the county does not typically adopt a budget until the summer.
The Township Committee will continue to explore solutions to this issue and provide information as it becomes available. We ask that the public discussion on this topic be conducted at a level that does not create further divisions in the community. Let us all remember how special this community is and how deeply we care about it. |
Winkydink
| | Posted on Saturday, January 20, 2001 - 10:03 pm: | |
Mr. DeLuca;
If 600 people, including those standing out in the cold, were at the last town council meeting, you can bet your bippy that there will be more than 1000 people at the next meeting on January 23. If the overflow crowd (who would not be allowed into the auditorium)has no ability to hear the proceedings, it will be an angry crowd. I suggest that a simulcast system be set up in the main gym at Columbia High School. I believe that Columbia has this capability. Or perhaps you all could rent a sound system for that evening. |
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