Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Taxes will rise $57 for the average borough homeowner.
The Hillsdale Council voted 5-1 to approve an amended $12,569,669 budget during their meeting Tuesday night. The budget includes a 1.9 percent tax levy increase, which equates to a $57 increase for the average borough homeowner with a property assessed at $469,400. Some homeowners may see an even higher taxes if their home's assessed value increased after the recent revaluation, Councilman Larry Meyerson said. School taxes will also be increasing by a combined $228 for the average borough homeowner. Officials previously voted to amend the budget to move some items, which were originally to be paid for by borrowing, into the operating budget, but Councilmen Doug Frank and Frank Pizzella said they wanted to borrow even less than was planned…
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Taxes will rise $31 for the average township homeowner.
The Washington Township Council voted unanimously to approve a $12,393,000 annual budget during their meeting Monday night. The average township homeowner with a property assessed at $534,000 will see a $31 tax increase, as well as a $20 increase for school taxes. The effect of the county's budget on local taxes was not yet available. The budget includes funds to bond for several capital improvements, including $43,692 as the down payment to repave Sussex Road, Morgan Court, Grace Court and sections of Ridgewood Boulevard, Hoover Avenue and Crest Place at a total cost of $908,692. A $15,000 down payment for a $300,000 project to repave Colonial Boulevard was also included separately because officials hope to win a Department of …
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Officials said the budget process this year was one of the most difficult they have faced.
The Westwood Council unanimously approved a $16.8 million budget that includes a 1.97 percent tax increase from last year during their meeting Tuesday night. The average borough homeowner with a property assessed at $398,000 will see an increase of $84 in municipal taxes. The total tax levy is increasing by $244,889 according to borough CFO Durene Ayer. Officials said this year's budget was unusually difficult. A decrease in the borough's assessed value meant that the average homeowner would have seen an increase of $28 without any spending increases. Revenue also dropped by about $16,000, according to Ayer. "This was probably one of — if not the — most difficult budgets I've worked on in 18 years," Councilman Peter Grefrath said. To …
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The council is expected to formally present the amendment and vote on the budget at their May 7 meeting.
Hillsdale will likely borrow less than was originally planned for this year because of an amendment to the 2013 borough budget. The Hillsdale Council voted 4-2 Tuesday to introduce a budget amendment which includes moving about $55,000 worth of items into the operating budget which were originally slated to be paid for through borrowing. They still plan to pay for two vehicles and road repaving by borrowing, likely through bond anticipation notes, officials said. The proposed $12.56 million budget has already been approved by state officials, but borough officials could not yet vote on it because the amendment needed to be advertised first. The Council is expected to expected to hold a hearing for the amendment and vote on the budget at …
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Taxes would rise $32 for the average township homeowner if the budget is approved as introduced.
The Washington Township Council voted to introduce a $12.3 million budget during their meeting Monday night. The $12,393,000 budget would include a tax levy of $8,901,699, excluding the library's portion. Taxes would rise $31 for the owner of the average township home assessed at $534,000. The majority of the raise — $27 for the average homeowner — was caused by the high number of tax appeals, according to Mayor Janet Sobkowicz. Councilman Joe D'Urso said that tax appeals have cost the town almost $1 million over the past three years. Township officials have planned to undergo a revaluation this year. The average township homeowner will also see a rise of an additonal $20 for school taxes. The Westwood Regional Board of Education approved …
Friday, March 29, 2013
The average Westwood resident will see a slight decrease in taxes, while the average Washington Township homeowner will see an increase of almost $20.
The Westwood Regional Board of Education unanimously approved a $52 million budget for the 2013-14 school year during their meeting Thursday night. The $52,600,772 budget includes a .5 percent tax levy increase for a total levy of $46,550,241. The amount of taxes paid by Westwood and Washington Township residents will shift slightly in the borough's favor, though they will still be paying about 53 percent of the levy. Taxes for the owner of the average Westwood home assessed at $397,000 will decrease about $2 while the owner of the average Washington Township home assessed at $533,000 will increase almost $20. The budget allows to the district to maintain their approximately 400 full- and part-time employees and add a second elementary …
Thursday, March 28, 2013
A change to the introduced budget approved by the Hillsdale Council Wednesday means the borough will borrow slightly less money but the tax levy will increase slightly more than planned.
The Hillsdale Council voted to amend their proposed budget after some officials voiced concerns over the amount of money which was planned to be borrowed during a special hearing Wednesday. The council voted 4-2 to move a number of smaller capital items — worth about $55,000 together — into the operating budget and issue bond anticipation notes for $285,000 for the cost of two vehicles and the first year of a 20-year road resurfacing program. The money for the smaller items wil be taken from the budget line item used for tax appeals. Borough auditor Paul Lerch said that would still leave about $317,000 for appeals because of leftover funds from 2012, which he said should be more than enough. If the budget is approved as amended, it will …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Borough officials have introduced a $12.56 million budget.
The Hillsdale Council will hold a special meeting Wednesday night to present their proposed 2013 budget to the public. Residents will be able to ask questions and make comments at the meeting. Officials introduced the $12.56 million budget at their last meeting. The budget is lower than last year's $12.8 million budget, but would come with a 1.9 percent tax levy increase for a total levy of $8.8 million. The average borough homeowner, with a property assessed at $469,400 since the recent revaluation, would see a $57 increase under the proposed budget. The proposed budget can be viewed on the borough's website here. The special meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Municipal Building. Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Jim …
Monday, March 25, 2013
Both the Hillsdale and Pascack Valley School Boards approved their budgets last week.
The average Hillsdale homeowner will see a combined increase of $228 for the K-8 and regional school districts next year. The average Hillsdale home was assessed at $549,000 before the revaluation and $469,400 now. Both the Hillsdale and Pascack Valley Regional Boards of Education approved their respective budgets last week. Hillsdale approved a $21 million budget with a $99 increase for the average homeowner. Pascack Valley approved a $48 million budget with a $129 increase for the average Hillsdale homeowner, though the change in the tax levy varies for each of the four towns in the district. The tax levy for Hillsdale Schools will increase 1.97 percent next year. The Pascack Valley tax levy will increase 2 percent. State law allows …
Friday, March 22, 2013
Taxes will increase by varying amounts for Hillsdale, Montvale and River Vale residents.
The Pascack Valley Regional Board of Education approved the district's budget for the 2013-14 year during their meeting Thursday night. The $48,452,517 budget includes a tax levy of $44,292,465, a 2 percent increase from this year, Business Administrator Yas Usami said. Because of the state law determining funding of regional districts, taxes in the four sending towns will be affected differently. The average Hillsdale homeowner, with a property assessed at $549,000 before the revaluation or $469,400 now, will see a tax increase of $129, according to Usami. Average Montvale and River Vale homeowners will see increases of $67 and $41, respectively. The average Woodcliff Lake homeowner will see a decrease of $314. The district will receive …
chuck
9:01 am on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
concerned Really? Come on. I was there and noticed 5 people who took to task an bloated budget from the mayor and trimmed it. Did you not understand the auditor either? I expect you could do better. If you can, please reveal yourself and run for a seat on the council yourself. The town is waiting.......... more ›