By Brian Thomas
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The Taxman Cometh?
It is August 1st which typically means that property tax bills are due for the over 41% of New Jersey taxpayers who pay their bills quarterly throughout the year.
However, numerous municipalities across the State are granting longer grace periods this quarter & extending payment deadlines due to mailing delays with tax bills.
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Why are there “mailing delays?”
In June, during the height of State Budget negotiations, one of the key components agreed upon to avoid a government shutdown by Governor Murphy, Senate President Sweeney, & Speaker Coughlin was a redistribution of state education aid through implementing changes to the school funding formula.
School districts around New Jersey have needed to adjust their budgets in order to operate for the coming school-year, increasing or decreasing their portion of property tax bills. With instituting changes, the State was delayed in certifying municipal & county budgets leading to the mailing issue.
Roughly 1/3 of districts have seen a reduction in aid which may lead to staff cuts &/or dips into emergency funds. Nearly 2/3 of districts have been given some funding increases which can either be used to grant property tax relief for residents or, more likely, will be included within 2018-19 budgets. The remaining districts will maintain flat aid levels for the coming year.
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Contact your municipal tax assessor:
If you have not received your property tax bill for this quarter or would like to inquire about a possible payment extension, we highly recommend that you contact your municipal tax assessor to receive the most up-to-date & accurate information regarding your bill.
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Here is a short list of towns granting extensions:
Avalon, Burlington Township, Franklin Township, Lawrence Township, Manville, Milltown, Montgomery Township, Morris Township, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, Oxford Township, Sayreville, Spotswood, Summit, Tabernacle Township, Vineland, West Long Branch, etc…
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