By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
MANALAPAN – The Township Committee has received a one-month extension from the Monmouth County Board of Taxation to decide whether to opt out of or to remain in the Monmouth County Assessment Demonstration Program (ADP).
The program is used to assign a value to a property and that value becomes the basis by which a property owner’s tax bill is determined.
Township officials said the tax board passed a resolution that permits a municipality to opt out of performing mandatory annual reassessments beginning in 2017 as part of the demonstration program.
However, the tax board has yet to receive approval of changes to the program – including the opt-out option – from the State Assessment Demonstration Program Monmouth County Steering Committee, according to municipal officials.
The deadline for municipal officials to decide to opt out of the program is April 29.
At the April 13 Township Committee meeting, Republican Committeeman Jordan Maskowitz announced that with the recent approval granted by the tax board, Manalapan’s elected officials do not have to make a decision until May 31.
On March 30, Kim Rodman, a Democratic candidate for Township Committee, asked township officials to follow the lead of several other county municipalities and remove Manalapan from the program.
Rodman referred to published reports regarding alleged conflicts of interest with the administration of the ADP. She also noted the impact on property taxes that some homeowners have experienced following the reassessment of their properties through the program.
In a published report last week, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed it is investigating the ADP.
At the April 13 meeting, Maskowitz responded to Rodman’s comments by stating that the purpose of the ADP is to always assess every property in town at its fair market value and to ensure that each property owner is paying his appropriate share of the community’s taxes.
When all properties are not assessed at their true market value, some property owners overpay and some property owners underpay their share of taxes, he said.
Maskowitz said that since Rodman addressed the committee three weeks ago, county tax officials have adjusted and refined several aspects of the ADP in an attempt to make it more palatable to municipal officials and to property owners.
“The (program) is here as a result of a state law. … the roll out could have been much better. We were all originally opposed to it, but at the end of the day, we were dealt the hand and it is our responsibility to make it work the best way possible for the benefit of all of our residents,” Maskowitz said.
Democratic Committeeman David Kane said, “It is important to me as an attorney … allegations (regarding the administration of the program) have not been resolved. I am not comfortable with the program while allegations are outstanding; I’m just not comfortable with that.”
Bernie Frojmovich, who is Rodman’s running mate on the Democratic ticket, spoke after Maskowitz made his remarks and said, “This is about what is right for residents. There are issues with the program and other towns have opted out because of that. It sounds like the program is being adjusted and that’s good. The (request for Manalapan to opt out) was based on (information) we had at that time.”
Maskowitz suggested that a representative of the county tax board and state Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth), who has worked with the tax board to adjust the ADP, should address Manalapan’s officials and residents at the governing body’s April 27 meeting.
Having updated information would leave the committee members more than a month before the new May 31 deadline to make a decision to opt out of or to remain in the ADP, he said.