Mahwah May 11, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 7 Township council wants help with tax appeals by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah Council has urged the state legislature to swiftly pass Assembly Bill A3412, which would require school districts and county governments to share in the cost of providing property assessment tax appeal refunds to township taxpayers. Currently, when county tax board appeals are granted, the municipality involved must reimburse the property taxpayer 100 percent of the appealed tax levy, which includes the municipal, school, county, and any other special district’s tax. The municipal tax collector makes the adjustment as a result of the appeal as a credit on the fourth quarter tax bill, which results in the municipality’s fund balance for the preceding year to be diminished, if not completely depleted. A resolution recently passed by the council pointed out that successful tax appeals have a negative impact on the township’s budgets. The township, as the collector of taxes for the local school district and the county, must fund the full cost of the legal defense of a property tax assessment appeal. Since state law guarantees that the county and the local school district must receive 100 percent of their tax levies, the township bears the full cost of any reimbursements resulting from the appeal and the full burden for any uncollected taxes. According to a recent New Jersey League of Municipalities survey that measured the extent to which residents have filed and won tax appeals in 2010, 150 municipalities that participated in the survey reported property value declines of more than $87,900,000, which resulted from 19,788 tax appeals filed in 2010. The number of appeals represents an increase of 43.7 percent over the appeals filed in 2009. The township claims in the resolution that the 2010 spike in tax appeals should be attributed to the economic down-turn, which lowered property values and placed increased stress on the income of homeowners all around the state. The survey also indicated that, in 2010, the various county tax boards granted average property value reductions of close to $5,000 per appeal. Based on that survey, the township is concerned that the property tax reductions granted by county tax boards in 2010 will have a multiplier effect when neighbors who did not file a tax appeal learn of their neighbors’ tax reductions. That situation will likely increase the number of future tax appeals, and tax assessors would then be forced to adjust property values downward. “In light of the revenue limitations that have been placed on all levels of local government by the legislature in the form of a two percent cap,” the resolution states, “such declining property values will compound and add additional stress on local public officials as they grapple with the issues confronting the taxpaying public.” Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-25 Morris) introduced A3412 last year. That legislation would require the total amount of property tax appeal refunds paid by a municipality during a tax year to be apportioned by the township’s tax collector among the township, the county, and the school district. According to the proposed legislation, the tax collector would be required to send a notice to the county and the school district advising those entities of their pro rata share of the property tax appeal refunds paid by the township during the tax year for inclusion in their subsequent annual budgets. In the year following the tax year in which the property tax appeal refunds were paid, the township’s tax collector would then deduct the applicable pro rata share from the amounts to be paid to the county and the school district. The Mahwah Board of Health will meet on Tuesday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Board of health to meet Mahwah Municipal Building at 475 Corporate Drive. $25at Offmore, Newcustomer, not applicable to a Adult Bicycle Priced $300 or one per prior purchases. Offer expires 7/15/11 396 Franklin Ave, Wyckoff, NJ Across from Aldo’s Restaurant 201-891-BIKE (2453) WE REPAIR ALL BICYCLE BRANDS Open Monday-Friday 10:00-8:00 Saturday 9:00-6:00 Wyckoff Cycle LLC Bikes for the Whole Family and the Pros Tryout for Ramsey Hotspurs! U8G U9G U10G U11G U12G U13G U14G Looking for competitive and fun year-round soccer? Schedule for BOYS: May 19 May 17 May 16 May 20 May 20 May 18 May 17 4:15-5:45 4:15-5:45 4:00-6:00 4:00-6:00 6:00-8:00 4:00-6:00 6:00-8:00 Schedule for GIRLS: May 16 May 18 May 18 May 19 May 19 May 17 May 16 5:30-7:00 5:30-7:00 6:00-7:30 4:00-6:00 6:00-8:00 4:00-6:00 6:00-8:00 Adorno Adorno Adorno Adorno Adorno Adorno Adorno U8B U9B U10B U11B U12B U13B U14B Adorno Adorno Adorno Lower Macfarran Lower Macfarran Adorno Adorno For age brackets, up-to-date schedules, directions and rain dates (if needed): Tryouts open to children who reside in Ramsey or attend Ramsey schools. www.hotspursoccer.com