Monday, April 8, 2013
Spending plan for 2013 calls for $38 increase in municipal property taxes.
The sharp year-to-year drop in the total assessed value of the property in the borough led to questions Wednesday as to what the 2013 municipal budget actually means. The Borough Council approved the 2013 spending plan that calls for a $38 tax hike for the owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $214,600. An owner of a home assessed at the borough average can expect to pay $1,901 in municipal taxes in 2013. It was the assessment drop, coupled with a tax hike that confused resident Jeffrey Carey. He said he received notice from the company performing the borough’s reassessment that his house was worth 50-percent less than it was last year, and his taxes were rising. Borough administrator Robert Elia said that probably was not …
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Public hearing set for April 3; spending plan tops $16.5 million.
The owner of a home assessed at the Hopatcong borough average could see their property taxes rise $38 this year, based on the 2013 municipal budget introduced by the council. The $16.556 million spending plan calls for $12.4 million in property taxes, a 3-percent increase from 2012. Overall the 2013 budget is $376,767 larger than the 2012 budget. The public hearing on the budget, when the council will vote on adoption, is scheduled for April 3. Borough auditor Paul Lerch said the Borough Council and administration brought the budget in below the state-mandated tax levy cap. Under that law, which called for a 2-percent cap on the amount of new taxes from year to year, the council could have raised $12.9 million in taxes, instead the levy is…
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Republicans Bunce and Galante challenged by Democrats Modes and Pezzino for two seats.
Incumbent Republicans Richard Bunce and Marie Ryder Galante face challenges on Nov. 6 for their 3-year Borough Council seats from Democrats Mara Modes and John Pezzino. The election comes at a time when the council approved a reassessment for all borough properties to balance the assessed value compared to the market values, the Highlands Council approved the designation of Hopatcong as a town center, and the borough faces budget challenges in the face of a mandated 2 percent tax levy cap. Bunce, 56, has served on the council since 2003. He owns his own construction business and has lived in Hopatcong for 21 years. He is married, has three daughters and several grandchildren. The reassessment was important because it will balance …
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Residents will have a chance to make their feelings heard at public hearing.
- GOVERNMENT
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Tuesday, August 14, 2012
The Borough Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday for a public hearing regarding an ordinance seeking $300,000 in an emergency appropriation to conduct a reassessment of the homes and businesses in the borough. The ordinance was introduced at the Aug. 1 council meeting. At that meeting, multiple residents expressed their concerns with the reassessment, as well as property tax rates and the borough's debt. Borough Administrator Robert Elia gave statements addressing many of those subjects. The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on at the Municipal Building.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Public will have a chance to make feelings heard during ordinance hearing on Aug. 15
The plan to reassess borough properties met Wednesday with objections from two residents. The Borough Council introduced an ordinance seeking $300,000 in an emergency appropriation to conduct a reassessment of the homes and businesses in the borough. The public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for Aug. 15 Mayor Sylvia Petillo said the borough revalued all properties in 2007, but the soft housing market since 2008 created a situation where assessed values of properties are not aligned with the market value, resulting in a sharp increase in tax appeals. “We need to get uniform rates,” Petillo said. Records show that Hopatcong's total assessed property value fell from $2.037 billion in 2011 to $1.996 billion in 2012. The borough has 360 …
S. Coventry
11:45 am on Monday, April 15, 2013
Heard through the grapevine that the election is already decided. How sad is that? more ›