East Windsor Township property owners should begin looking for their 2019 property tax bill, which was delayed in being mailed.
The property tax bills should have been mailed several weeks ago, but the mailing is late due to the delay in certifying the tax rates at the Mercer County level.
The third quarter property tax payment was due Aug. 1, but East Windsor Township officials are extending the deadline to Aug. 29 without penalty. If the bill is paid after that date, interest will accrue on the amount back to Aug. 1.
Meanwhile, property owners will see an increase in their property tax rates and the amount owed. The total tax rate for 2019 is $3.38 per $100 of assessed value, compared to the 2018 tax rate of $3.33.
For a home assessed at the township average of $258,691, the total tax bill for 2019 will be $8,743. Compared to the 2018 property tax bill, which was $8,614, this is an increase of $129.
Breaking down the 2019 tax bill, the East Windsor Regional School District property tax rate of $2.11 accounts for 62.56 percent of the total bill.
The municipal property tax rate of 43 cents, which is unchanged for the seventh consecutive year, accounts for 12.18 percent of the total tax bill. The garbage district tax of 12 cents, which is also unchanged is 3.67 percent of the total bill.
The combined Mercer County property tax rate of 71 cents makes up 20.96 percent of the tax bill. It includes the county government, the county library system and the county open space tax.
“The 2019 municipal budget again reflects a zero tax increase, while retaining existing service levels. The municipal tax component has remained the same for seven straight years,” Mayor Janice S. Mironov said.
The East Windsor Township Council does not establish – and has no control over – the other 83.52 percent of the tax bill, Mayor Mironov said. The township serves as the tax collector for itself, the school district and the county government.
Although property owners make their checks payable to East Windsor Township, the township is only responsible for distributing the money that is due to each governmental entity – Mercer County, the school district and itself.