| Author |
Message |
    
Nilmiester
| | Posted on Monday, January 22, 2001 - 11:32 am: |     |
Why not make the position full-time and forget about a police director at $70K per year PLUS benefits? Just a thought. |
Townie
| | Posted on Monday, January 22, 2001 - 2:43 pm: | |
Maybe Mr. Gallante could have saved us if full-time, maybe not.
Does the following theory make sense to anyone?
Certified started its revaluation on the east side of town and proceeded west. The first figures the TC and Gallante saw were in line with what they expected, and so on as the reval slowly moves west. Then Certified gets behind schedule, and the TC says: Hey! We hired you instead of another company just because your track record for completion was better. We want this all done by the end of this year. So Certified hurries up and gets all the rest of the west done -- and BOOOM! How can this be right?
OK, so the TC looks at some of the neighborhood numbers and thinks maybe their high. It seems that in its hurry to get done, Certified made some overall mistakes. But what the TC can't know is that within those neighborhoods, some of the individual houses are really, really off. There actually have been home sales for a half mil and way above in the hills --- homes in not very good condition and not all that large. So it looks believable on paper for the most part.
But people start streaming out of the hills to the town meeting demanding answers and the TC tells them: Look, we're asking for more time. These numbers surprised us. We know neighborhood assessments will be made. We think the worst of the individual assessments the county can fix.
Is it really fair to bang them over the head so much? For several years, they've been drawing up budgets and setting taxes, knowing they were socking it to the eastern parts of Maplewood. And unlike previous years, it seems that the geographic balance on the TC is more representative of all parts of town. So of course they saw the need for the re-val. They did the politically unpopular thing, and got blindsided by Certified's last minute mistakes. They can't responsbily just junk the reval without risking the whole town being sued.
I think they would have done better to get out from behind that big desk at the last meeting and circulate among those standing in the lobby and out in the cold, and tell them not to worry. They are not politically adept. (Hey! Can we get Bill Clinton to run for the TC?) But I can't see where it's time to dust off the gallows. It might be prudent to have a full-time tax assessor. Or at least one in place 10 years from now. |
Mtierney
| | Posted on Monday, January 22, 2001 - 3:10 pm: | |
As I just asked on another thread: What about us middle-of-Maplewood homeowners? While we were hoping for a tax break from our current $12G rate, we are now looking at an increase of $2500! Where is everybody? |
Ffof
| | Posted on Monday, January 22, 2001 - 3:26 pm: | |
Mtierney- Go get your CV meeting and quick! And don't forget the meeting tomorrow night at 8 at CHS! |
Ucnthndlthtruth
| | Posted on Monday, January 22, 2001 - 10:27 pm: | |
And... who's going to pick up the slack for all the little "adjustments" being made for Ellen Davenport and her neighbors ? That tax revenue isn't just going to be lost, friends and neighbors.
I doubt it's going to be the Hilton area.
More likely, the "middle", Mtierney .
That's why it's way to late (even with an extension) to fix the whole process by making piecemeal adjustments.
What a mess ! |
Aruba18
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 4:41 am: | |
I grew up in this town, and I can tell you honestly that we never had an "east" or "west" designation-that dubious honor goes to the TC for developing that label.For those of us who do live in the "hills", I can tell you that we put the past twenty-three years of our lives into restoring a family homestead. Why? Because we don't get to take vacations, we don't drive expensive cars, we don't have a second home, etc. We have put our lives into this home,and the school system is so bad that it doesn't even justify what we have accomplished. |
Lseltzer
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 7:57 am: | |
U: Who will pick up the slack has always been clear to anyone with the slightest math abilities. Everyone will. As the total assessment for the town goes down, the tax rate goes up.
Aruba18: I've only lived here since 95, but the east-west thing has always been obvious to me. And you blame it on the TC? This is a good one. How is it their fault? |
Ffof
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 8:48 am: | |
The TC has exacerbated the east/west distinction for sure, and let's see, the school redistricting brou-ha-ha that started with Ralph Lieber's tenure fed into this (remember the east/west plans?), and before that? Who knows. I do know that the first time i heard of the distinction (and i've lived here for 10 years) was about 6 years ago when someone who lives somewhere in "the middle" (!) brushed off a friend's comment about the availability of babysitters(or maybe nannies) by saying "oh, easy for you, you live on the hill". I was shocked, frankly. Why do people like to use that distinction? It makes them feel better? Scapegoating? People like class warfare? whatever... |
Maggie
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 - 9:33 am: | |
Mtierney
Speaking as a fellow middle-maplewood resident, I have asked on several threads, if anyone from this neck of the woods has seen an increase in their assessment after meeting with Certified and after Mr. Galante reviewed the so-called "neighborhood" inequities. So far, no one has responded either confirming or denying.
For the record, I have seen an increase via my revision letter and can't figure out why this has happened. My meeting with Certified basically just confirmed that the information pertaining to my home's appointments appeared to be correct, although I did point out that sales data in and around my block did not back up the initial assessment. Mr. Ryan's newly-posted data seems to indicate that the average home assessment in my area (the Kensington block) decreased somewhat overall, even though mine increased. I am at a loss to explain this, although I expect that Mr. Galante's review had something to do with it. |
Mtierney
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 11:09 am: | |
Last night's meeting proved my fears. While obviously incorrect assessments on the west created the huge tax increases there, the organized response has resulted in apparently quite a number of adjustments in assessments. While my high middle Maplewood assessment remains the same, the numbers game last night indicated that the 2.66% tax rate has already gone up to 2.75%! So, my increase of $2,500 looks like it will be over $3000! This without an assessment adjustment on my house. Let's face it, many on the west were hurt....the TC is committed to fixing the eastside.....us dopes in the middle will be slam dunked. Big question: How will 4 people earning $500 apiece fix this mess? What happened to the suggestion that there is FREE help available through the state to examine municipal and BOE budgets. Why not take a good look at the BOE which is probably at this very moment looking to increase the $63M budget!! Where is the response from our elected county, state and federal officials. Maybe since the Dems let Corzine buy his senate seat, they can ask him to bail us out of this hole. Just a thought. |
Eliz
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 3:32 pm: | |
Mtierney - are you sure you didn't get a reduction??? There were blanket reductions up to 10K in several middle areas. Check the latest numbers or the tax books. |
Mtierney
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 4:52 pm: | |
Eliz: If that info is available on Ryan's thread, I'm out of luck. I downloaded it to my desktop but couldn't open it because it was too large for simpletext. I'm simple minded and I don't know how to get it. I trashed it. Can the material be viewed in town hall? |
Eliz
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 5:05 pm: | |
Yes at Town Hall and the libraries. |
Vicdeluca
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 5:58 pm: | |
The information is not yet at town hall or the libraries. The computer firm is still printing the data and has not sent us the books. I will post an update as soon as we know the actual time the books will be available. |
Deannel
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 7:11 pm: | |
We do have it downloaded at NetNomads. That's a huge file to print but we are here to help you navigate the sort functions and find the information you are looking for. I think Larry mentioned that on another thread but i wanted to confirm that.
We are open till 9pm weeknights and till 11pm on fri and sat.
sincerely,
deanne landress
NetNomads Cafe
973-762-6788 |
Gerardryan
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 11:13 pm: | |
Let's have a Netnomads Geek Meeting and all look at the data together!
(Good god, I need to get out more....) |
Kap
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2001 - 11:16 pm: | |
Deanne, Do you have a burner so that I can copy the file? Not having much luck downloading from Jerry's website. |
Deannel
| | Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2001 - 7:53 am: | |
yes
deanne |
Deannel
| | Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2001 - 8:31 am: | |
Sorry, i wasn't awake yet.
Yes, we have a burner, yes we have blank cd's and jewel cases...
and yes, jerry...a 'geek' meeting would be fine with us. Coffee's brewin, just say when!
deanne |
Lee
| | Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2001 - 2:58 pm: | |
The 2.66% and 2.75% tax rates on residential property were just estimates. I just got the News-Record and one of the headlines reads: "New budget will mean additional taxes", referring to the new school budget. Hold on to your seats, the ride's gettin' rougher! |
Gerardryan
| | Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2001 - 11:27 pm: | |
No Geek Meeting takers?
Well, I think Lseltzer and I are going to Netnomads Monday night at 8:00 to play with spreadsheets, databases, and perhaps mapping software. |
Mem
| | Posted on Friday, January 26, 2001 - 4:51 pm: | |
Count me out please! I'll be too busy working my third job in order to pay for my nice big new taxes! |
Mtierney
| | Posted on Saturday, January 27, 2001 - 1:09 pm: | |
Lee: Thank you! Somebody finally noticed the elephant in the living room! Scream and yell all you want at the TC for hiring the wrong firm and the flawed results. Over on Academy Street, our BOE is working hard to see how much more it can spend. Obviously $63 Million won't be enough and we will soon hear from that portion of the tax dollar. Already there are groans from the education thread that 4th and 5th grade music is on the cutting board. And that controversial alternative school (no judgments here whether it's a good idea or bad) may disappear. The reason being that it was funded by money which has dried up. Can or will the local taxpayer pick up this tab?
Can we talk county tax shares?
When you read about political corruption and disappearing millions of dollars in school aid, any sane, hardworking taxpayer will raise his head and ask "What can we do to put an end to all this?"
The Maplewood reval may just make alot of folks notice that elephant! |
Nilmiester
| | Posted on Saturday, January 27, 2001 - 2:24 pm: | |
Is the Alternative School closing? Did any of the students graduate? Any feedback on the success or failure? |
Damellon
| | Posted on Friday, February 2, 2001 - 11:38 am: | |
Let's face it, the reason why we are in this mess is that the "TC" did a sloppy job with the reval. Apparently it was nobody's job to oversee the process. This is unacceptable representation. And the way that the assessments went out well after election day made me feel like it was right out of our sleeze-ball President Clinton's handbook! How the members of the TC can go around all puffed up and full of themselves the way that they do is beyond me. I want them out of my house, out of the pool, out of the library, out of the school district (especially!!!) - and out of town hall!!! I beg that everyone please consider taking a closer look at the other candidates that may represent us more appropriately during the next election. |
Gerardryan
| | Posted on Friday, February 2, 2001 - 11:58 am: | |
Are you planning to spam every thread on the board with this? |
Nakaille
| | Posted on Friday, February 2, 2001 - 2:19 pm: | |
Jerry: it appears the answer is yes.
Dave: Does your anti-spamming policy cover this kind of obnoxious behavior?
Damellon: get a life. Or at least a new idea. Try presenting an actual platform for your own candidacy for TC or BOE.
Bacata |
Gerardryan
| | Posted on Friday, February 2, 2001 - 2:45 pm: | |
Bacata: it's even better: on a thread above, I'm criticized for "spending excessive time posting on this board".
Well, at least that part's true :-)
Jerry |
Teach66
| | Posted on Friday, February 2, 2001 - 4:32 pm: | |
Wow - looks like damellon hit a nerve there! It may be a good idea to appoint a chairperson from the township to oversee the SPAM problem on the board - no that sounds like something for the BOE, a $90,000 administrative position. Now what could they call it? Ah, don't worry they'll make something up! |
Tracks
| | Posted on Friday, February 2, 2001 - 4:50 pm: | |
Gee Teach... are you applying for the job? Just watch out for Damellon trying to knock you down to get his application in. |
Eliz
| | Posted on Saturday, February 3, 2001 - 2:35 pm: | |
I dunno but it would seem Teach66 and Damellon are working in tandem or else they are the same person. |
Teach66
| | Posted on Monday, February 5, 2001 - 12:12 pm: | |
Nah - just a very good friend. |
Teach66
| | Posted on Monday, February 5, 2001 - 12:14 pm: | |
Nah - just a very good friend. |
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