Officials to press for revaluation
Wheels in motion
for update on all Jackson properties
Ever since a $103 million construction referendum proposed by the Jackson Board of Education was approved by voters in January, the assessment of homes has become a key issue in the community.
While members of the Township Committee have indicated some support for a community-wide revaluation, residents are still waiting to see action.
In an effort to provide the community with facts about their efforts to ensure reassessments of property, members of the Town-ship Committee sent a letter to residents outlining their actions.
Township Committeeman Joseph Grisanti met with Ocean County Tax Administrator G. Fred Burlazzi to discuss the steps that need to be taken to complete a revaluation.
Jackson’s last complete revaluation occurred more than a decade ago.
According to the letter, after meeting with Burlazzi, township officials took the first step and submitted tax maps to the state. State officials are requiring Jackson to make technical revisions so the maps reflect current standards and are more accurate.
To assist in this process, the township has solicited bids from three companies to prepare the maps for resubmission and plans to award the contract in the near future.
Additionally, Mayor Michael Broderick met with Burlazzi on Jan. 11 to further emphasize the committee’s desire to move forward.
"A revaluation is going to require hiring a firm to do property inspections for the 18,000 line items on Jackson’s tax rolls," Broderick said. "This process requires much cooperation between our township assessor and county tax officials."
He said a follow-up letter was sent to Burlazzi expressing Jackson’s desire to implement a solid plan for moving forward toward an accurate revaluation.
The school referendum that will see the construction of a new high school and elementary school, among other items, passed by 10 votes. A taxpayer with a home assessed at $140,000 will pay approximately $203 more in school taxes annually over the life of the bonds that will be sold to pay for the project.
The assessment of a property becomes important when figuring a tax bill because if one property is underassessed (in relation to true market value), that property owner is paying less on a relative scale than someone who recently bought a home that is assessed at true market value.
Some residents have spoken out in recent weeks about the need to ensure a fair distribution of property taxes.
"As property owners ourselves, we understand residents’ concerns about taxes," Broderick said. "It is worth noting that our administration has cut local taxes twice in two years. The actual tax rate in Jackson is now lower than at any point in the 1990s."
The committee’s letter went on to suggest that reform on the state level is needed to take the burden off of homeowners.
"Property owners in New Jersey bear a disproportionately high share of the burden for school expenses," Broderick said. "Unless something is done at the state level, property owners will still bear an excessive burden for the cost of education even after a revaluation."
Broderick suggested that residents should reach out to their elected officials on the state level to help solve the long-term issue of school funding.
"In 2001 our Township Committee adopted a resolution calling upon the state Legislature to confront this issue head-on," he said. "It fell on deaf ears in Trenton. Once again we must, and all Jackson residents must, call upon their legislators to solve the long-term issue of school funding."
Broderick said the committee members will continue to keep the municipal tax rate that they control as low as possible and vowed to move forward toward an accurate township-wide property revaluation.
In an interview with Burlazzi last month the county tax administrator said he was in discussion with Jackson officials about a revaluation and he said those discussions would continue.
"There are a number of things that need to be discussed and these things can not be done overnight," he said.
Burlazzi was contacted for further comment, but did not return phone calls left by Greater Media Newspapers.