Now that the Mayor has his mandate of 15,000 voter... get ready to see the largest tax hike, blowing away the 18% from 3 years ago, that Jersey City has ever seen... they were drooling over the 47% hike in Hoboken!

Checked my account online. Billed from May 1st and says interest date is May 13th. HUH?

I haven't got a bill and it is overdue already?

What's going on?

I've got it!

Our taxes will not go up, but we will all begin making additional
"payments in lieu of taxes"

Problem solved.

The fiscal year is over June 30th, next month. Our city spent the money before we had a final budget. We start July 1 with at least $25 million in the hole. The city cannot defer pensions and the city will not receive money from Honeywell. There are also grants in this budget that expires. Will the city still fund those programs through taxes? Actually, the grant money the city received happened in March. In my opinion, those monies should be for the new fiscal year starting July 1, 2009. Also, the ratable base dropped forcing a $3 dollar increase per thousand. Remember abatements are not ratables. If they were ratables, then the tax base would stablize and not dip.
Yvonne

In cities with engaged leadership, qualified financial management and transparency, the budget for the 09/10 fiscal year has already been introduced to council and in some cases approved. Did we get any idea last night as to when we can expect the next budget???

Althea,

Think the bill that will go out on monday or tuesday is for Q2, Q1 tax bill was due in Feb and as you indicated Q3 and Q4 are upcoming.

From the article, it seems the city fiscal year is july 1 through June 30, while the tax bills are sent out quarterly on a calendar year basis. In any case I think that the property tax rate is set for tax bills due in the 4 quarters of calendar year 2009.

I'm confused by what they mean by year. The fiscal year is almost over, June 30th. So will our taxes not increase until the end of the fiscal year?

Or will they not increase until the end of the calendar year in December 2009?

I also don't understand the quarterly tax bill which goes:

1st quarter (February)
2nd quarter (May)
3rd quarter (August)
4th quarter (November)

But the budget year goes to July 1st - June 30th. This coincides with the election schedule I assume.

So what exactly does no increase for the year mean? for the nest month or the next 6 months? or does it mean for a full year starting back on May 1, 2009?

didn't hoboken try this a few years ago? kept taxes artificially low.. and then this year raised them 49% in one shot?

Quote:

Your avatar indicates that you are a fan of science fiction. Your post then confirms this.

Only one out of four posters believes the JJ article.
Counting me, its one out of five.

I guess Chakotay will be voting for Healy, but my unscientific poll doesn't bode well for his reelection.

Great job by Mayor Healy and his Business Administrator Brian O'Reilly. While the neighboring towns of Bayonne and Hoboken are in fiscal crisis, Jersey City will see no tax increases.

Quote:

Brace yourselves for a major change in JC tax policy WHOMEVER is elected because, unlike the Federal government, the city cannot print money and will be forced to pay a greater and greater portion of its own expenses in the upcoming years.

Yea, I have a feeling that theses numbers are nothing more than "election time" figures. We will almost certainly be hit with an increase from Team Healy afterwards.

Wait until next year after Healy and Co. have been re-elected and then brace yourselves.

Council passes budget municipal tax hike is tiny

Friday, May 08, 2009
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City property taxpayers will see virtually no increase in municipal taxes this year, city officials said last night as the City Council unanimously adopted a $474 million operating budget for the fiscal year that ends June 30.

The average taxpayer, who has a property assessed between $100,000 and $110,000 will see an increase of about $3 in the municipal tax bills they are due to receive next week, said Business Administrator Brian O'Reilly.

"When you read in the newspaper about tax revolts in West New York and Hoboken it's a real pleasure to serve here," said Ward C Councilman Steve Lipski.

Last month, city officials amended the budget after learning the city received only $5 million of the $7.2 million they had requested from the state in special municipal aid.

The city made up the shortfall through leftover revenue from last year and grant money, officials said.

The $474 million budget represents a $10.1 million jump over last year's $463.9 million spending plan. But the tax rate is nearly identical to last year - $25.50 this year, compared to $25.47 last year.

Resident Yvonne Balcer pointed out that even if there is no tax hike, "we are $26 million away from a half-billion-dollar budget."

"Frightening!" she said.