I guess you havent been around since the start of the Healy administration otherwise you would know that Healy has raised property taxes 18 % so far. He cant continuously go to the property tax well so now we'll call it a transfer fee. When I'm writing out checks to pay for this administrations spending it really doesnt matter what its called. Does it? Instead lets have a beer tax at the bars around City Hall. We could probably then lower property taxes.

This city knows when property revals hit hard, hundreds
of homes will be fore sale, and this is just a way to suck
more money out of people before they leave JC ----- M- F'rs

STOP DEVELOPER TAX ABATEMENTS NOW!!!!!

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Read your history books or wikipedia...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenue_Act_of_1913#Income_tax

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Which politicians promised that the Federal Income tax would only affect the richest 1% of the population, and when exactly did "they" do this?

The third thing is the real problem - it's very easy to raise a tax once it's on the books. Almost always it gets pushed up over the years. Probably the best example is the Federal Income tax, which politicians promised would always affect only the richest 1% of the population to get it passed. Look at how that's worked out.

If JC really needs the money it would be better to raise the real estate taxes but they don't want to do that because it would be less stealthy than sneaking in another form of taxation.

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I love how the Healy administration gives out tax-abatements to big business and developers, then turns around and requests / demands more money from the working stiffs via this possible sales tax to generate some playing money for his staff.

Why is it we always elect individuals that have no experience in big business or any risk management skills to mitigate any short comings.
We need to elect a person who has experience as a general manager from some large corporation like shoprite or similar. Someone who has logistic skills, people skills, supply skills, industrial skills, negotiation skills, ethical skills, contract skills, understanding on how to balance the books - accounting skills and the ability to project manager a city's resources - We need a person with a PhD in Business Management, not some wanker, risk taker / reactive attorney.

I think people like me are realist and realize that the City has to raise money somehow. There are services that residents consume that need to be paid for. If property taxes aren't going up that much, then the City needs other revenue sources.

The problems here are

a) Healy is saying it is not a tax when it clearly is.
b) Healy is not denoting where these extra funds are going specifically.
c) Once you add a tax to the books it is easy to raise it year over year. When do you ever see a tax being removed?

The issue isn't about how many bps you are adding, its the fact its being added at all.

I'm surprised how many people here are so freely willing to give their hard earned money to politicians.

Stop the hyperbole! No one is talking about a 100% tax. I'm not even sure it is 1%. Big deal! Is paying 1% really going to stop anyone from selling a house. Some people can be so petty.

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So why not make it a 100% tax, that won't stop any sellers from selling? You think this is just free money?

Big yawn about this fee. I don't think it will stop any sellers from selling do you?

Personally, I don't think there's anything so terrible about a tax increase, if the government is going to do something useful with the money in a reasonably efficient way.

The problem is that government agencies in Jersey City seem to be very corrupt and inefficient. If Jersey City and Hudson County want to raise taxes, for example, it seems to me that they have to start by going into 30 Montgomery with consultants and streamlining.

How about instead of coming up with new ways of taxing, they use this energy to get rid of waste in local government.


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How can he say this isn't a tax? In what way is this NOT a tax?

What an idiot.

Is this the fee that will pay Flood II's salary?
Forget it !

Will JC home sellers face new fee?

Realtors fight proposal for local realty transfer tax

Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter staff writer

The ad was recently seen in various newspapers across the state with the phrase, "Don't let the politicians crack you nest egg."

Under a photo of a smashed eggshell, the words said, "Your home is your nest egg. But some Jersey City politicians want to crack it."

The ad was referring to a proposed "home sales tax" that would force home sellers to pay an extra fee to the city when a property deed is transferred. Such a fee already exists on the state level, but Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy wants to have a separate local fee to go to Jersey City.

But the Liberty Board of Realtors (formerly the Hudson County Board of Realtors), who paid for the ads, say that the tax would force homeowners to pay hundreds of dollars more upon sale of their homes, thus creating additional hardship in an already slumping home sales market.

The Realty Transfer Fee is actually imposed when the deed for the transfer of title is recorded.

The Liberty Board wants to stop legislation that was first proposed by Healy last year to state legislators. In the proposal, cities such as Jersey City and Newark could impose a local realty transfer fee of 50 cents for every $500 of sales when property is transferred from buyer to seller.

That's in addition to the realty transfer fee imposed by the state. The state fee starts at $2 per every $500 for houses under $150,000, and rises to $6.05 per every $500 for a $1 million sale. It can sometimes reach $12,000 and higher.

Right now, the legislation is still pending in the state legislature, and there is speculation it will be introduced in the new year.

Unveiling the ad

But the Liberty Board isn't waiting for the legislation to be introduced.

They have not only unveiled the ad attacking the proposal, but also are part of the New Jersey Association of Realtors' effort to create a website on the matter (www.njhometax.com).

Mayor Healy in a recent interview said he is still supporting his proposal and believes it will be passed.

Healy said the reason he is seeking the legislation is because the city does receive any revenues from the state's transfer fee.

Fighting for the fee

Last week, Healy said, "Here's what occurs on say, a $100,000 sale. There's a $500 fee, and ... Trenton takes $400 of that money and sends $100 of that money back to the county."

Healy continued, "What does the city get out of that? Absolutely nothing. Meanwhile, we are doing all the background work with the tax searches and other searches for this closing to happen."

Healy said the city just wants a $100 share for every $100,000 of property. He said this would bring $1 to $2 million in revenues into the city's coffers.

He also said he had seen the ad. He said it is "foolish and inaccurate."

"You know that on a $100,000 sale I was talking about, what fails to be mentioned is that the Realtor gets $6,000 from a closing," Healy said. "I just want a measly 1/10 of 1 percent, yet these people are saying on TV, criticizing Jersey City politicians for imposing a tax, and it's not a tax."

He said this new realty transfer fee for Jersey City and Newark would actually be a "benefit" in that the revenue going to the city would ease the tax burden on homeowners.

'Horrible'

Joseph Hottendorf, executive director of the Liberty Board of Realtors, said recently that Healy's legislation is a "horrible, horrible proposal" that stands a good chance of failing in the State Legislature.

"We have been talking to politicians here in Hudson County and throughout the state, and we are gaining support, as this tax will do more harm than good," Hottendorf said. "I hope legislators change their mind and see that this will have a negative impact on home sales."

Longtime Jersey City realtor Albert Cupo said that Healy's proposal was not popular with local realtors, but they understood what he is trying to achieve.

"Last thing we want is to make Mayor Healy look bad, but this was not an initiative that was well-thought out," Cupo said.

Comments on the story can be sent to rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com