This site is a free service for communication, self-expression and freedom of speech.

We believe this site increases the availability of information, encourages healthy debate, and connects viewers.

While reporting on topics:
We will ask the questions some newspapers don't.
We will print the questions that some newspapers won't.

All sources of information are confidential.


Monday, February 27, 2017

Westfield Property Owner's Tax Rate Among the Highest in NJ

 
     The next time you look at your property tax bill, realize that living in Westfield isn't cheap.
     According to statistics from the state Department of Community Affairs, Westfield ranks #22 of the top thirty municipalities with the highest average property tax bill while ranking the lowest on that same list when it comes to the average residential property value.
     Westfield's average property tax bill in 2016 was $16,282, in part because of one of the highest tax rates in New Jersey at 9.03 percent.  That's approximately $9 for every $100 of assessed value.
     The average residential property value in Westfield is $180,342 thanks to the lack of a reassessment in decades.  Should a Westfield property tax reassessment occur in the near future, Westfield property taxes will rank #1 in the state if Mayor Skibitsky and his town council keep the property tax rate at 9%.
     Westfield Mayor Andy Skibitsky often touts a catch phrase of his own......"We are doing more with less."  He should consider rephrasing it to, "Westfield taxpayers are paying more for less."

Here is a list of the top 30 municipalities in NJ with the highest average property tax bill.
       Municipality                   Average Property Tax.          Average Property Value
30.  Deal.                                        $15,377.                             $2.2 million
29.  Chester.                                   $15,443.                             $665,750
28.  Glen Rock.                              $15,459.
27.  Rockleigh.                               $15,551.                             $1.6 million
26.  Woodcliff Lake.                      $15,562.                             $725,883
25.  Ho-Ho-Kus.                            $15,580
24.  Cresskill.                                 $15,718.                            $600,000
23.  Old Tappan.                             $16,071.                            $823,000
22.  Westfield.                                $16,282.                            $180,342
21.  Mantoloking.                           $16,561.                            $2.4 million
20.  Ridgewood.                             $17,180    
19.  Franklin Lakes.                       $17,198.                            $1 million
18.  Saddle River.                          $17,221.                            $1.69 million
17.  Upper Saddle River.               $17,462.                            $769,123
15.  (Tie)  South Orange Village.  $17,576.                            $459,258
15.  (Tie)  Summit.                        $17,576.                            $408,739
14.  Haworth.                                 $17,769.                            $601,751
13.  Montclair.                               $18,292.                            $503,448
12.  Princeton.                                $18,333.                            $809,991
11.  Demarest.                                $18,418.                            $753,388
10.  Essex Fells.                             $18,743.                            $923,039
 9.   Mendham.                               $18,752.                           $908,246
 8.   Glen Ridge.                             $19,045.                           $543,553
 7.   Rumson.                                  $19,146.                           $1.3 million
 6.   Mountain Lakes.                     $19,775.                           $782,636
 5.   Tenafly.                                   $19,866.                           $803,377
 4.   Alpine.                                    $20,910.                           $2.72 million
 3.   Loch Arbour.                          $22,323.                           $1.04 million
 2.   Millburn.                                $23,327  
 1.   Tavistock.                               $31,128.                          $1.72 million

*Fact and figures obtained from NJ.com

4 comments:

  1. All that money for what a 300k piece of equipment that sits most of the time and when it get utilized it is either sent to another town or trade show. ....and when it does go out of town there is a good chance it will be told to go home .....way to spend the taxpayers money

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tax rate would not be kept the same if their were a reassessment. It would be adjusted to keep total tax revenue the same as before the reassessment. Also, that article is poorly researched. Do you really think that the average property value is $180,342? Can you buy an average house in town for that price? Or for double that price? I don't agree with everything the Mayor has done, but the NJ.COM article is incomplete, misleading, and poorly presented.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The fact of the matter is, that Westfield ranks #22 in average property tax. There is nothing misleading about that.

      Delete
  3. As noted above, there has not been a property reassessment in Westfield in decades so that is why the average property value is so low. TFoTM does not believe that the Mayor and town council would keep property tax at 9% of a property's reassessment value. If they did, it would tax the average Westfield family out of their home.

    ReplyDelete