Officials explain why Willingboro property tax bills rose; residents press for clarity

Township finance officials delivered a detailed briefing on how property taxes are calculated in New Jersey and why many Willingboro residents received higher estimated bills.

Eusevia Diggs, the township's chief financial officer, explained that the total property tax rate is made up of three principal components — municipal, school and county levies — and walked through a five-year trend showing the municipal rate moving from roughly 1.816 in 2022 to about 1.915 for 2026. “Property tax is a local tax assessed on real property to fund essential public services,” Diggs said, and she stressed the school levy has been a dominant factor in the town’s overall increase.

Justin Lamicella, the township assessor, said the assessor’s office is conducting statutorily required inspections (a 20% inspection program across a five-year cycle) and that, at present, property assessments have not yet changed; any reassessment impacts tied to inspection work would not take effect until the 2029 tax year. Lamicella also described how a municipality’s equalization ratio and total assessed base interact with budgets to produce tax rates. He noted the office had inspected roughly 6,102 properties so far, with about 62% completion of the targeted inspection cycle.

During public comment residents described significant year-over-year increases to their bills and asked for parcel-specific explanations. Tax Collector Lamar Arnold described local exemptions and statewide relief outreach events, and the council directed staff to post presentation materials online and provide clear contact points for residents to get bill-specific explanations.