By: Vic Monaco
HIGHTSTOWN The borough could lose $64,652 annually under its current tax rate, which is set to rise if the owners of the Minute Maid plant are successful in a tax appeal.
Due to miscommunication with borough Tax Assessor Ken Pacera, that figure was reported much higher in the July 20 edition of the Herald.
Borough Administrator Candace Gallagher clarified this week that the $500,762 tax revenue figure previously reported is the total amount of taxes generated by the property which is shared by the borough, the county and the regional school district. The borough’s share is $115,087.
If the property owners are successful in getting their borough assessment reduced from about $8.79 million to $3.85 million, the taxes due the borough would fall to $50,435 under the 2006 tax rate, she said. That loss, of $64,652, is equal to about 3 cents on the local tax rate.
The school district’s share, Ms. Gallagher said, would fall from $289,915 to $127,050 if the appeal is successful.
The borough is responsible for collecting school taxes, and it was unclear at press time whether the borough might be responsible for making up for that loss, of $162,865.
None of those figures takes into account that the borough’s 2006 tax rate is set to climb as high as 19 cents or as low as 2 cents depending upon the amount of extraordinary aid the state provides, a figure that could be known as early as today. Any hike in the tax rate would mean a greater potential loss for the borough if the tax appeal succeeds.
The owners of the 37-acre tract along Mercer Street are also appealing their township assessment, which is much lower, because the bulk of the plant is located on borough property.
The appeal was originally filed with the Mercer County Board of Taxation, which moved it along to the state Tax Court.

