HOBOKEN — The Hoboken Tax Revolt group has posted a list of questions from the public about the Hoboken budget, which were answered in an e-mail by City Council Budget Committee chair Michael Lenz (who is the 4th Ward councilman). Not all of their answers will necessarily be what the taxpayer group would have wanted to hear.
Lenz said that the budget that was recently introduced does not include funding for a “reval,” or re-evaluation of all the property in town, something that many feel is long overdue. Older properties are paying taxes based on assessments from more than 20 years ago, while newer properties pay the full amount.
However, Lenz did say that a first step toward a reval may be taken. He said he expects the final budget to include $300,000 to start creating tax maps.
In response to another question, Lenz deferred questions about whether Church Towers, a moderate income building, is in accordance with the terms of its tax abatement agreement. Lenz said the mayor or finance director should answer. However, he agreed that revoking the abatement agreement is an option if it was to turn out that they are not in accordance.
He also answered a question about city layoffs by saying that right now, few or none are predicted in the current budget. He said: “The Mayor is working to provide the substantially completed Police Audit and to develop a Fire Audit to guide future decisions and the other Directors are evaluating layoffs and/or furloughs.”
As noted in the Hoboken Reporter cover story this weekend, a tax cut is unlikely.
More budget workshops are to come before a final spending plan is adopted.
Click HERE for more of Lenz’s answers, and go HERE for the Reporter cover story.
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