Deputy Mayor Chad Goerner of Princeton Township
I wanted to respond to Roger Nelson’s frustration (The Princeton Packet, Friday, July 23) in regard to the recent revaluation in Princeton Borough and Princeton Township. I share his view that the impact of the revaluation for some of our seniors and low to middle class residents threatens to dismantle the already fragile framework of diversity in our community.
I, too, received my tax bill and due mainly to my home’s revised assessment, my taxes have risen by 21 percent. The significant increase that I received and some other residents have experienced is not due to the township’s tax rate (our rate increase was 1.7 percent — our lowest in 25 years) nor is it due to the tax rate increases put forth by Mercer County of the Regional School Board. It is due to the percentage increase in my home’s value relative to other properties in Princeton Township as a result of the recent revaluation.
Why have I and some other residents experienced such dramatic percentage increases in their taxes as a result of this revaluation? Part of this is due to the fact that the last revaluation of the Princetons occurred in 1996. In general, during that 14-year period, smaller homes increased at a higher percentage in value during that time period than larger homes. Another issue is that when a mass appraisal is performed there will always be inequities and inaccuracies. We have encouraged residents to file appeals with Mercer County if they feel that their homes are incorrectly valued.
Both towns were mandated by Mercer County to perform a revaluation and the ability for the township and borough governments to affect the outcome of the revaluation is extremely limited by law. We, as a governing body, have been keenly aware of the results of the revaluation and have been incredibly frustrated with the county and state to address significant property-tax increases as a result of revaluation for residents that do not have the ability to pay and in an economic time that only exacerbates the problem.
While our power is limited, we have been working to monitor existing sales data and compel the assessor to update neighborhood assessments immediately based on this data and we have also been working to compel the chair of the Mercer County Board of Taxation to appear in a public meeting to address issues relating to the methods and transparency of the revaluation. Furthermore, we have encouraged neighborhood groups to form and will assist in facilitating meetings with Mercer County to address any inaccuracies.
Finally, I would also recommend that any senior 65 or older that qualifies for the Senior Tax Freeze Program apply for relief. The state has extended the deadline to Aug. 2, 2010. While the state has limited the benefits under this program it is important to apply for this program if you qualify to establish eligibility for benefits in future years. Here is a link for more information:
http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/2009ptr_seniorfreeze.shtml.
I certainly share residents’ frustration with this revaluation and your concerns have not fallen on deaf ears. We will continue to work with the County of Mercer and the state to express our concerns. If you have additional questions or need more information please email me directly at [email protected].
Chad Goerner
Deputy Mayor
Princeton Township
