Community Corner

Summit Property Taxes Higher Than State Average, Highest In County

Summit also saw a higher percentage tax increase for 2012 than the state average.

Homeowners in Summit are paying higher property taxes than the statewide average and the highest taxes out of all communities in Union County, according to a statewide chart published by the Star-Ledger.

The average total Summit tax bill comes in at $16,050.53, compared with the statewide average of $7,870.28.

While the statewide average property tax increase was 1.7 percent for 2012, the smallest bump in more than two decades, Summit residents saw a 3.3 percent tax increase for 2012. Across Union County, the average percent increase for 2012 was 2.1 percent. Mountainside had the highest percentage increase for 2012 (5.6 percent), while Winfield had the biggest decrease for 2012 (-0.8 percent).

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Compared to the rest of Union County, Summit residents pay $6,535.44 more than the average Union County tax bill. Summit ranked 1 out of 21 for total highest bill in the county. Summit also pays a higher municipal bill and a higher school bill than the county average municipal and school bills.

Besides Summit, residents in Westfield (2) and New Providence (3) paid the highest average total tax bill in the county, while residents in Winfield (21), Kenilworth (20) and Plainfield (19) paid the lowest.

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The Star-Ledger noted that property taxes statewide rose 2.4 percent in 2011, the first year Christie’s two percent cap was in effect. But the trend of lower increases could be reversed because of Hurricane Sandy, according to the report.

In Manasquan, which suffered some of the worst damage from Sandy, local officials said the cost of rebuilding might drive up tax rates by at least 20 percent, the report said. To top it off, the tax base shrank as properties were washed away, according to the report. Towns are allowed to exceed the two percent limit on property tax collections for emergencies such as Sandy.

 

Town Average County Bill Average Municipal Bill Average School Bill Average Total Bill Percent Change from 2011 Summit $4,132.33 $3,643.99 $8,274.22 $16,050.53 3.4% County $1,828.06 $2,954.38 $4,732.66 $9,515.09 2.1% Statewide $1,425.45 $2,324.66 $4,120.16 $7,870.28 1.7%

 

UNION COUNTY     

Average County Bill

Average Municipal Bill

Average School Bill

Average Total Bill

Rank of Total Bill in County

Percent Change from 2011

Berkeley Heights

$2,580.35

$2,050.60

$6,474.40

$11,105.36

5

0.7%

Clark

$1,942.70 $2,474.34 $4,792.82 $9,209.86 10

3.5%

Cranford

$2,060.72 $2,472.99 $5,369.98 $9,903.70 9 3.6% Elizabeth $1,231.09 $4,743.14 $1,871.93 $7,846.16 17 -0.5% Fanwood $1,937.83 $2,218.57 $6,280.15 $10,436.55 6 1.2% Garwood $1,710.53 $3,077.43 $3,961.33 $8,749.30 12 4.3% Hillside $1,167.12 $3,989.62 $3,513.51 $8,670.25 13 1.8% Kenilworth $1,520.31 $2,269.26 $3,548.28 $7,337.85 20 4.4% Linden $1,284.72 $2,621.57 $3,967.24 $7,873.53 15 1.7% Mountainside $2,677.69 $2,768.10 $4,743.20 $10,188.99 7 5.6% New Providence $2,560.99 $2,684.54 $7,066.03 $12,311.56 3 2.5% Plainfield $1,141.75 $4,579.09 $2,094.72 $7,815.57 19 -0.4% Rahway $1,303.43 $3,057.40 $3,465.96 $7,826.79 18 1.1% Roselle $1,042.55 $4,416.74 $3,597.64 $9,056.93 11 -0.6% Roselle Park $1,303.45 $2,815.30 $4,486.97 $8,605.73 14 1.5% Scotch Plains $2,248.72 $1,966.49 $7,304.99 $11,520.19 4 2.4% Springfield $1,876.85 $3,220.94 $4,910.17 $10,007.95 8 2.5% Summit $4,132.33 $3,643.99 $8,274.22 $16,050.53 1 3.4% Union $1,378.43 $2,878.21 $3,604.53 $7,861.16 16 3.3% Westfield $3,204.80 $2,657.55 $8,466.72 $14,329.07 2 3.1% Winfield $82.83 $1,436.10 $1,591.03 $3,109.97 21 -0.8% COUNTY AVERAGE $1,828.06 $2,954.38 $4,732.66 $9,515.09     –  2.1%

The data above, which divides property tax bills by municipal, county and public education costs, was compiled from numbers released by the state Department of Treasury and county boards of taxation.

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