JACKSON – The Township has completed its revaluation and residents had the opportunity to question the municipal Tax Assessor about what that means for their tax bills.
Tax Assessor Peter Maher attended a recent Township Council meeting at the request of the council. He explained how the revaluation process works and how property values were determined. “What a revaluation does is bring all properties to 100% market value. In Jackson the ratio is at 54% of true value today.”
A town is ordered to perform a revaluation if the average assessed values of all the properties in town are less than 85% where they should be. The assessed value is what they base your taxes on.
Council President Jennifer Kuhn asked how this will impact homeowners’ taxes.
Maher said, “that would be a case-by-case basis.” He gave a case scenario, “42% of commercial property has increased in tax levy, 13% remain the same and 45% saw a decrease in the tax levy.”
He added, “Residential had 34% see an increase, 19% remain the same and 47% of residential property saw a decrease in the tax levy.”
“In this instance I feel the revaluation did its job,” Maher said. “On average the residential assessments went up 92%”
“That is interesting,” the Council President responded. She then asked him what options residents have “if they believe the reassessment was inaccurate or unfair?”
Maher answered, “first they should contact PPA (Professional Property Appraisers) at 1-800-410-5815.” He referenced letters sent out to homeowners by PPA at the time of the process “and at that time the phones were buzzing. Nobody could get through. If you still can’t get through call my office. I’ll make sure you get a call back.”
“They’ll set you up with an informal hearing. They’ll find out if the property was physically inspected. They’ll make a decision on whether there is a change in the assessment and at that point in the beginning of February all property owners will get a postcard of their home value. That is when the values are certified,” Maher added. “When you receive that postcard, you have the right to appeal your taxes to the Ocean County Board of Taxation.”
Maher explained the appeal form can be found going to jacksontwpnj.net, by clicking on Departments & Divisions, then Municipal Tax Assessor. A pamphlet with this information is present at that site and available at his office at Town Hall.
“You do not need an attorney to complete a residential tax appeal,” Kuhn added.
Maher said there were no municipal programs to address assisting seniors or others adversely affected by an increase in their taxes but advised residents to examine state programs that they might be eligible for that could provide some fiscal relief.
New Police Officers
During that meeting Public Safety Director Joseph Candido thanked Mayor Michael Reina and the administration for support in “getting us (two) Class II (police officers) as we replenish our Class II specials which we are short on as well as allowing us grow this (K9) Unit.”
The Class II police officers were sworn in that evening and two new K9 officers were also welcomed as valued members of the department.
Officer Phil Minnisale’s new partner is K9 “Brix” and Officer Matthew Jamison’s new partner is K9 “Robbie.” Both dogs and their handlers underwent months of rigorous training throughout the state ensuring the canine’s ability to positively recognize and alert their partners to specific odors in various types of environments.
They graduated in September from the New Jersey Transit Police Department’s inaugural K9 Academy under the tutelage of Master Trainer Ed Joos. They were presented with their certificates at the NJTPD Counter Terrorism Training Facility in Orange, in the presence of family members as well as members of the township police department.
The K9 officers were recognized along with those who sponsored their addition to the force. K9 Brix completed a 16-week course certifying him in Explosive Ordinance Detection (E.O.D.) and K9 Robbie completed a 12-week course certifying him in Narcotic Detection.
Representatives of the Remembering Brian Kanterman Foundation were also recognized. The Foundation donated around $20,000 to the department which went toward a police service dog and other supplies for the dogs and handler.
