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Board of Taxation representative explains revaluations, appeals drop and local tax impacts
Summary
A Board of Taxation representative told commissioners that multiple municipalities were ordered for revaluation over the next several years, described why appeals are unusually low and outlined the appeals timeline, while commissioners flagged pilot abatements’ effect on school funding and the ratable base.
A representative from the Board of Taxation reviewed ordered revaluations and told the Board of County Commissioners that several municipalities will undergo revaluation schedules through 2029, naming Millburn, North Caldwell and Essex Fells as among those planned. The representative said some towns — Irvington and West Orange — asked for later filings and that Newark sought an extension after a street‑name change complicated data inputs.
The presenter said appeals have dropped sharply, in part because rising market values discourage owners from appealing: “It’s very hard to come in and appeal your assessment because it’s not based on taxes,” the representative said, explaining that property owners worry an appeal will prompt a higher assessed value. The representative added that municipalities have until May 1 to file appeals and that hearings are typically scheduled in May and June.
Commissioners asked about the effect of local tax abatements and PILOTs on the county ratable base and school revenues. The representative acknowledged municipalities commonly grant abatements to developers and said that shifts of commercial and residential values vary by town; the representative added that PILOTs reduce the shared ratable base the county and schools rely on.
Why it matters: Revaluation changes can redistribute local property tax burdens and prompt community backlash when homeowners see large single‑year increases. Commissioners pressed the administration on outreach and legal pathways for towns that disagree with revaluation timing.
The Board did not take a formal vote on the matter during the hearing; staff and commissioners indicated the appeals process and timelines will remain available to affected property owners as the revaluations proceed.
