New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's 2010 budget has to close a $7 billion shortfall. How will he do it? John Reitmeyer, a reporter in the Record's Trenton bureau, talks about the governor's plan for shared sacrifice.
nj real estate tax rates are set to meet local budget requirements. an across-the-board drop in assessed values will simply result in an across-the-board increase in the tax rate, unless and until the local budget is also reduced. So unless your neighborhood's assessed values have fallen disproportionately more than those in another neighborhood in the same locality, expecting to see a reduction in real estate taxes due to falling house prices is unrealistic
Here are all the school districts in NJ: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_districts_in_New_Jersey Each has an Superintendent and other staff in administration, earning 6-figure salaried paid directly from taxation. Reduction to 21 Superintendents (with larger under-structures) itself would safe a fortune, as well as consolidation of all other Government functions. You want big government, it's right here.... and under Democrat or Rebublican nothing changes.
New Jersey has been living beyond its means for decades. One of the primary problems is that schools are funded solely through property taxes. Until structural changes are made and the 616 school districts reduced, this problem will never be fixed.
The New Jersey budget and NY budget have something in common: tax increases on the middle-class. My husband and I live in Westchester and pay extremely high taxes. We work 12-16 hour days and are constantly anxious about the poor economy -- lay-offs, no business for his small business. This morning on the way to work, I told him that I was so tired that I understood why people on forced marches lie down on the side of the road and die.
Yet we are constantly being told by our public officials that we are rich and have to carry an even higher tax load. My impulse is to quit my job, sell the house and furniture -- at a loss -- and move to a cheap bungalow on some warm beach. Let all these jerks who are fighting for the last penny out of my dead body find some other dummy to exploit.
I have little faith in the current governor of NJ, but my actual point is that I believe the propper term for someone from NJ is "Jerseyite"....At least that was what I was always told.
Jon Corzine is the first adult we have had in the Governor's office in a generation. So, of course, we're going to vote him out.
Republicans will win on a platform of cutting taxes and restoring programs to middle-class suburban voters. How will they do this? By "cutting wasteful spending!" No specifics. Don't ask.
Corzine is trying to make difficult, painful cuts and he will be punished for it.
I am not a NJ resident. I have a question. Don't the really high property taxes go back to the Whitman administration and its questionable policy of cutting income taxes by 20%? I thought the property taxes went up back then to plug that hole.
What does it mean to say property taxes are higher in one state as opposed to another. I thought property taxes where levied according to the needs to fund schools. I know personally that property taxes north of Westchester County are _higher_ in absolute dollars for many houses that are worth _one-tenth_ what many houses in Manhattan and Brooklyn are worth.
Likewise, property taxes in Manhattan are higher than in the outer boroughs.
I'd suggest dissolving the NJ city system into counties.
Right now there are hundreds of school/fire/police districts, as well as City governments, with administrators earning high salaries for (relatively) little responsibility.
Public sector pensions also need to be brought in line with the private sector.
I'm fed up of property taxes increasing year on year with no attempt by my City, County or State to control their expenditure.
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Comments [14]
nj real estate tax rates are set to meet local budget requirements. an across-the-board drop in assessed values will simply result in an across-the-board increase in the tax rate, unless and until the local budget is also reduced. So unless your neighborhood's assessed values have fallen disproportionately more than those in another neighborhood in the same locality, expecting to see a reduction in real estate taxes due to falling house prices is unrealistic
Here are all the school districts in NJ: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_districts_in_New_Jersey Each has an Superintendent and other staff in administration, earning 6-figure salaried paid directly from taxation. Reduction to 21 Superintendents (with larger under-structures) itself would safe a fortune, as well as consolidation of all other Government functions. You want big government, it's right here.... and under Democrat or Rebublican nothing changes.
If people want to leave NJ because of the taxes they pay to live here: Goodbye!
New Jersey has been living beyond its means for decades. One of the primary problems is that schools are funded solely through property taxes. Until structural changes are made and the 616 school districts reduced, this problem will never be fixed.
The New Jersey budget and NY budget have something in common: tax increases on the middle-class. My husband and I live in Westchester and pay extremely high taxes. We work 12-16 hour days and are constantly anxious about the poor economy -- lay-offs, no business for his small business. This morning on the way to work, I told him that I was so tired that I understood why people on forced marches lie down on the side of the road and die.
Yet we are constantly being told by our public officials that we are rich and have to carry an even higher tax load. My impulse is to quit my job, sell the house and furniture -- at a loss -- and move to a cheap bungalow on some warm beach. Let all these jerks who are fighting for the last penny out of my dead body find some other dummy to exploit.
Can you clarify if the $75,000.00 income limit refers to a joint os sigle filer income?
I have little faith in the current governor of NJ, but my actual point is that I believe the propper term for someone from NJ is "Jerseyite"....At least that was what I was always told.
Can you pplease clarify if the 75,000 a year income refers to a joint or single taxpayer filers? This is in regard to the property tax cut.
Thanks.
Will it affect those already receiving a pension? Those receiving a disabilty pension? Cops - Firemen?
Jon Corzine is the first adult we have had in the Governor's office in a generation. So, of course, we're going to vote him out.
Republicans will win on a platform of cutting taxes and restoring programs to middle-class suburban voters. How will they do this? By "cutting wasteful spending!" No specifics. Don't ask.
Corzine is trying to make difficult, painful cuts and he will be punished for it.
I am not a NJ resident. I have a question. Don't the really high property taxes go back to the Whitman administration and its questionable policy of cutting income taxes by 20%? I thought the property taxes went up back then to plug that hole.
What does it mean to say property taxes are higher in one state as opposed to another. I thought property taxes where levied according to the needs to fund schools. I know personally that property taxes north of Westchester County are _higher_ in absolute dollars for many houses that are worth _one-tenth_ what many houses in Manhattan and Brooklyn are worth.
Likewise, property taxes in Manhattan are higher than in the outer boroughs.
nj pays high property taxes because of the 100's of unneeded sub-governments counties and municipalities and school districts with no students
I'd suggest dissolving the NJ city system into counties.
Right now there are hundreds of school/fire/police districts, as well as City governments, with administrators earning high salaries for (relatively) little responsibility.
Public sector pensions also need to be brought in line with the private sector.
I'm fed up of property taxes increasing year on year with no attempt by my City, County or State to control their expenditure.
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