Atlantic County tax administrator pitches annual reassessing plan to keep assessments near market value
Loading...
Summary
County tax administrator Terry Prendergast told the Board the county should support municipal annual reassessing with shared inspectors, technology and clerical staffing to maintain fair assessment ratios and avoid costly full revaluations; she estimated initial county staffing would cost about $695,000.
Terry Prendergast, Atlantic County tax administrator, presented a proposed annual reassessing plan to the Atlantic County Board of Commissioners, saying the program would help keep assessed values near market levels and reduce the need for expensive, countywide revaluations.
Prendergast told commissioners that a reevaluation is typically done by an outside firm, while a reassessment can be managed in-house or as a hybrid; she said the Division of Taxation ssesses ratios (assessed value to sales price) and that ratios above 85% are acceptable. "We have a responsibility to maintain a fair and equitable distribution of the tax burden," Prendergast said, describing data she shared on county ratios since 2021.
Prendergast reviewed assessor staffing across Atlantic County, noting 23 municipalities, roughly 155,000 taxable line items, and 17 unique assessors (9 full-time assessors and 14 towns relying on part-time assessors). She recommended that the county help municipalities that opt into annual reassessing by supplying technology (digital tax maps and aerial images), a proper number of inspectors and competent clerical support. Prendergast said county investment could eliminate the need for future full revaluations and reduce the number of tax appeals.
She cited examples from Somerset County, where many municipalities participate in annual reassessments with consistent ratios, and described Gloucester County s having moved from a countywide revaluation pilot toward annual reassessing after high countywide costs. Prendergast said 20% of New Jersey municipalities currently participate in annual reassessments ("about 120 towns," as she stated).
Prendergast proposed an initial county staffing model of seven positions (county tax administrator, assistant administrator, GIS specialist, commercial and residential inspectors and clerical support) with an estimated annual cost of $695,000. She said the Board of Taxation had already purchased new tablets and that recent aerial imagery from a grant would support the work.
Commissioners responded positively in committee and in the full meeting, describing the proposal as a controlled, voluntary hybrid approach that would give local assessors support and avoid a disruptive countywide revaluation. One commissioner noted statutory constraints but said the county-level approach the tax administrator proposed "meets the needs of our municipalities and in a controlled manner, which you can afford." Prendergast said six towns are currently under order for revaluation and that municipalities must first complete a statutory revaluation or in-house reassessment before entering an annual reassessing program.
Bill Crother, identified by Prendergast as president of the Municipal Assessors Association for Atlantic County, was reported present and supportive of the plan.
Next steps: commissioners said the finance committee will review budget implications and that the county executive's office would be asked to consider adding the staffing and equipment line items to the county budget. The Board did not take a final vote on the plan at this meeting; staff were asked to provide more detailed financial analysis and to schedule follow-up meetings with municipal governing bodies.
