BERKELEY – The state has ordered the township to undergo a revaluation of all properties, but the new values will take a few years to be on the books.
A revaluation is when a third party company is hired to look at every piece of land and any buildings on it. They determine the new valuation of that property. That new value will be what your taxes will be based on.
A town is ordered to undergo this process once the values are more than 15% away from what they are supposed to be. According to Ocean County Tax records, Berkeley’s values are 37.36% lower than where they need to be. A large number of other municipalities were also around this mark on the 2024 Equalization Table.
During a recent Township Council meeting, Business Administrator Scott Tirella said it had been quite a while since Berkeley had a reval.
“If we don’t go through with it, they will go around us and get it done in the courts,” Tirella said.
It will take years for the new values to be on the books, he said.
The township went out to bid for companies to perform the work.
In other news, the township set fees for the use of the Recreation Building at $100 per hour, and a minimum of three hours.
The township also went out to bid for a company to create a bike path from the bandshell to the pickle ball courts at Veterans Park.
Veterans Housing Update
Tunnel To Towers, a veteran nonprofit, will be building a “veterans village” on Route 9. Officials shared more information about the development at a recent Township Council meeting. There will be 99 apartments and 25 single family homes for low-income veterans. The apartment building will also have an office where the residents can get basic services and referrals.
Mayor John Bacchione said the apartments will be 400 square feet. There will be 24-hour security and private garbage and recycling.
“Every veteran will be vetted – excuse the pun,” before being accepted, he said. Bacchione wanted to ease people’s concerns that apartment complexes bring hundreds of children to school districts.
A 100% disabled veteran in the audience that night explained that in the past he had been working two jobs while homeless. He and his two children were living out of a tiny Geo Metro. So, there may be some children in the complex.
It is not yet known when the development will begin construction. It will be similar to one in Bradenton, Florida, which recently broke ground.
