Hopatcong Expected to OK $300K for Revaluations

Hopatcong has started toward a borough property re-evaluation.

The council is expected to approve $300,000 to fund the re-evaluation, which wouldn't count against the 2012 budget, Borough Administrator Robert Elia said. In fact, Elia said, the money would be spread out over payments of $60,000 a year starting 2013.

Elia said Hopatcong hasn't hired a company to perform the re-evaluations yet. During the 2008 re-evaluation the borough employed Certified Valuations Inc., Elia said.

Tax Assessor Therese DePierro said 368 property tax appeals had been filed in Hopatcong as of April 1.

The re-evaluation "should reduce the number of appeals," DePierro said.

Earlier in June, Councilman Michael Francis .

"It's time to let our people know that we recognize the fact we're a little bit off kilter with some of that stuff and I think people would be more acceptable of our financial problems if we were taxing them at the real value of our homes," he said.