Mayor and Council Ask Residents to Contact Trenton Legislators:
During the public portion of the July 17 regular council meeting, residents questioned as to what could be done to get property taxes under control. While the municipal portion of taxes makes up less than 18 percent of the entire tax rate, current state law places an unjustified liability on taxpayers and local municipalities when property owners are due refunds for successful real estate appeals.
Howell Township only collects taxes for various taxing entities.
Some background information:
Senator Anthony Bucco (R-Morris) has introduced S-1896, which would require county governments, school districts, fire districts and other taxing districts to share in the burden of paying for property tax refunds. Currently, only the county shares in this burden with municipalities through the county tax equalization process while schools and fire districts, and other taxing districts do not have to refund any of the property tax money they collect. A companion bill was introduced in the Assembly under bill number A-1503.
Under the bill, the tax collector would be required to send a notice of the pro rata share of the property tax appeal refunds paid by the municipality during the tax year to the county, school districts and fire districts for inclusion into their annual budgets. The municipal tax collector would then be required to deduct the pro rata share of the property tax refunds from the amounts to be paid to the county and each school district and fire district.
The Governing Body passed a resolution in support of this legislation and strongly encourages residents to write or call on state representatives to solve this problem and urge them to push several state measures either in progress or pending, without penalizing local municipalities that are living up to their obligations. We will continue to advise our residents of other needed tax reform.
Assembly Speaker: Sheila Y. Oliver (973) 395-1166
Senate President: Stephen M. Sweeney (856) 251-9801
30th District Legislators:
Senator: Robert Singer (732) 987-5669
Assemblyman Sean T. Kean (732) 974-0400
Assemblyman David P. Rible (732) 974-0400