What FH's Coming Revaluation Means

Assessors will be checking properties soon

It's something that Monmouth County mandates in order to keep the value of property in Fair Haven current and bring tax dollars in — property revaluation. After more than a decade, county officials have ordered a new one in the borough where, Mayor Ben Lucarelli says "there's no doubt that the value of Fair Haven is up." Assessors from Realty Appraisal Co. will soon be out and about photographing properties as a means to start the job of deciding just what that value may be. Realty was chosen above Appraisal Systems and awarded a contract, via resolution on Monday night, of $149,900 to complete the revaluation job. The results will be reflected in the 2014 tax bills, but the job will be completed in 2013. Calling revaluation an expense …

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FH Budget Talk: The Price of Taxes

Fair Haven officials discuss budget facts

"Nobody wants their ox gored." It's what Fair Haven Councilman Jonathan Peters, finance liaison, said about people protecting their interests when it comes to the municipal budget and its cuts and/or funding. The bottom line: Like it or not, taxes fund services that residents usually want, and each has his own favorite. That's what Peters meant when talking about budget woes. Other officials agreed. And, all six council members concurred that they're dealing with a tough call to make: deciding whether or not to strain an already nearly drained surplus to keep taxes level and municipal services at a premium; or break a five-year record of no municipal tax increase and enter a danger zone of depleting surplus to prevent any hike. Either way…

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Hurricane Sandy

Tax Assistance Events for Sandy-Affected Areas

The free events are designed help individuals and businesses prepare their 2012 tax returns.

The State's Treasury Department's Division of Taxation has organized a number of tax assistance outreach events throughout February and March in towns affected by Hurricane Sandy, Gov. Chris Christie's office announced Thursday.  The events, scheduled during the height of tax season, are being held in towns that suffered heavy damage during Sandy as well as adjacent municipalities. The events will be located at libraries or other public buildings. The events are scattered throughout Monmouth, Ocean and Bergen Counties. The tax assistance events are free and residents can register online by visiting https://www.state.nj.us/treas/taxation/contactus_tytstormsandyrelief.shtml.. Residents can also email outreach.tax@treas.state.nj.us or call …

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Did Your Paycheck Shrink This Year?

Did you notice the higher taxes you're now paying?

Remember the fiscal cliff? Part of the battle between President Obama and the Republican House included whether employees' share of the temporary FICA tax reduction would be allowed to lapse, and thus hike taxes on middle-class workers. The Fiscal Cliff resolution wound up including the expiration of a 2 percent Social Security temporary tax reduction, the result of which is now reflected in everyone's paycheck. Now, employees' share of FICA tax is 6.2 percent, up from the 4.2 percent average that middle-class folks were paying before the end of the tax reduction. Have you been paid yet this year? Have you noticed less in your take-home pay? What do you think about it? 

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Rumson, Fair Haven Tax Bills: How Do They Compare with Others in NJ?

Rumson's average tax bill is one of the highest in the state.

A tax bill that's much higher than the state average is no secret to a Rumson or Fair Haven resident. But just how much higher are those bills compared to others across New Jersey? With both municipalities' officials boasting holding the line on the municipal tax portion of the bill for the past few years, they still far outstrip the bill of the average taxpayer in New Jersey. Though Fair Haven's tax hike from 2011 to 2012 was lower than the state average. The Star Ledger culled data from the 566 state municipalities' tax bills and offered an analysis on the total average bill of each town as compared to the average in the state. The figures reflect budgets after Gov. Chris Christie and the NJ State Legislature enacted a 2 percent cap on …

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Gov. Christie in Manasquan at 3 p.m. Today

Inlet first stop on 'Endless Summer Tax Relief Tour'

Gov. Chris Christie, who for months has been touting his income tax relief proposal for all New Jerseyans, will make an appearance Monday in Manasquan to do just that.  Christie is scheduled to speak at 3 p.m. at the Pavilion at the Manasquan Inlet, 431 Beach Front, for the first stop in what's being called the governor's "Endless Summer Tax Relief Tour: A Conversation at the Jersey Shore."  "(Christie) will call for Corzine Democrats to stop holding tax relief hostage and urge the legislature to continue the New Jersey Comeback and provide bipartisan leadership by delivering tax relief to our citizens, making our state more competitive and allowing us to put more New Jerseyans back to work," according to a release from the governor's …

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Gov. Christie Outlines Plans for Fiscal Discipline

NJ Governor addressed a packed crowd at Princeton University on Friday.

Money doesn't grow on trees, Gov. Chris Christie, told a packed crowd at Princeton University on Friday, and that's why he has capped New Jersey property taxes, cut public sector jobs and rejected the so-called “millionaire’s tax.” “When we approached the budget in 2011, we made a decision that because the people in New Jersey are the highest-taxed citizens in America, that taxes are high enough and we are not going to put up with any further tax increases," Christie told a crowd of students, residents and businesspeople. Previous administrations were willing to fund almost any special interest group that requested a handout, Christie said. As a result of that open-wallet policy, New Jersey residents fled the state for those with lower …

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