Politics & Government

Tax Appeals Expected to Hit Record High in Bergen County

Teaneck council's push to have schools and counties share the tax appeal burden meets opposition.

Bergen County's tax official expects to process around 15,000 tax appeals this year, a record-setting number, according to a report on northjersey.com. 

to cover a slew of property tax appeals. The township is set to make its case for borrowing before the Local Finance Board next week. 

The council also passed a resolution calling the tax appeals an "inequitable burden" and seeking to have the school district and county pitch in to cover their slice of the $2.2 million in appeals. The council's move backs pending legislation that would share the payments with schools and county government. 

Find out what's happening in Teaneckwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, however, has said the town should be responsible for the refunds. In an editorial published Wednesday, the Record sided with Weinberg. 

"Why require school districts to contribute to paying rebates when they have nothing at all to do with assessing property?" the editorial states. "There's no reason for a bill that cuts costs for one governmental body while it increases them by the same amount for others. If tax assessments are done fairly, there won't be as many successful appeals. That doesn't take legislation, just common sense."

Find out what's happening in Teaneckwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Teaneck residents have criticized the township for not conducting a revaluation or reassessment since the housing market peaked in 2006 and questioned why the tax appeal burden wasn't mentioned at several public hearings. 

 

What do you think? Should schools and the county share the tax appeal burden with municipal governments? 


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