As the property tax assessment cards have gone out this week, the Township wanted to take an opportunity to share some information about the process. The total tax money that Green Brook collects each year is calculated by adding the budgets of the Township, the Green Brook Board of Education and Somerset County, along with the local and county open space tax and a county library tax. Property tax bills in New Jersey are based on the assessed value of a parcel. Like the majority of Somerset County towns (16 out of 21), Green Brook participates in a tax reassessment program that adjusts values each year based on actual comparable sales that occur through October 1 of the prior year. The goal of this program is to have each property assessed at 100% of the value that it will sell for. By adjusting values each year, the assessed values tend to stay much closer to true value. The tax assessment tool used today allows for individual comparison of home values versus sales, as opposed to neighborhood-wide adjustments that used to be the norm. Any increase or decrease in assessed value DOES NOT at all change the total taxes that the Township collects. The assessed values do not affect the amount that the Township needs to operate, it only changes how much an individual property owner pays. In other words, increases to assessed values does not generate additional revenue. If you view the total amount collected as a pizza pie, your assessment simply determines how large your piece is – your share of the total taxes collected. Once the total amount to be collected is determined (through the budget processes of the entities that make up the tax bill), that number is divided by the total of all of the tax assessments in Green Brook, to come up with the tax rate. That rate is multiplied by your assessment to determine your tax bill. The purpose of the Assessment cards is to tell each property owner what the Township has established as a value for each property for 2022. If you feel your assessed value is not accurate for what your property could sell for in the current market, we encourage you to speak with the tax assessor, who can confirm that Township records accurately show the correct number of rooms, bathrooms, etc. The assessor may also be able to send you comparable sales used to justify your 2022 assessment. If you do not feel that you are being properly assessed, you can appeal your 2022 assessed value to the Somerset County Board of Taxation by Monday, May 2, 2022 (May 1st is a Sunday). For properties valued at $1 million or more, you may also appeal to the State Tax Court. While the 2022 tax rate is not yet known, the breakdown of your 2021 total tax bill is as follows: 18% Green Brook Township & Green Brook Open Space 16% Somerset County, Library & County Open Space 66% Green Brook Board of Education As Tax Assessor Laura Whitaker is part-time here in Green Brook, the best way to reach her is by e-mail, so that she can reply with relevant property and sales information. Her e-mail address is: LWhitaker@greenbrooktwp.org Ms. Whitaker may also be reached by cell at (908) 295-4827. Please be sure to leave your name, address, Block/Lot/Qual information and a phone number if you reach her voicemail. For instructions and forms to file an appeal with the Somerset County Tax Board, please contact them at (908) 541-5701 or visit their website at: https://www.co.somerset.nj.us/residents/tax-board
As the property tax assessment cards have gone out this week, the Township wanted to take an opportunity to share some information about the process.
The total tax money that Green Brook collects each year is calculated by adding the budgets of the Township, the Green Brook Board of Education and Somerset County, along with the local and county open space tax and a county library tax.
Property tax bills in New Jersey are based on the assessed value of a parcel. Like the majority of Somerset County towns (16 out of 21), Green Brook participates in a tax reassessment program that adjusts values each year based on actual comparable sales that occur through October 1 of the prior year. The goal of this program is to have each property assessed at 100% of the value that it will sell for. By adjusting values each year, the assessed values tend to stay much closer to true value. The tax assessment tool used today allows for individual comparison of home values versus sales, as opposed to neighborhood-wide adjustments that used to be the norm.
Any increase or decrease in assessed value DOES NOT at all change the total taxes that the Township collects. The assessed values do not affect the amount that the Township needs to operate, it only changes how much an individual property owner pays. In other words, increases to assessed values does not generate additional revenue. If you view the total amount collected as a pizza pie, your assessment simply determines how large your piece is – your share of the total taxes collected.
Once the total amount to be collected is determined (through the budget processes of the entities that make up the tax bill), that number is divided by the total of all of the tax assessments in Green Brook, to come up with the tax rate. That rate is multiplied by your assessment to determine your tax bill.
The purpose of the Assessment cards is to tell each property owner what the Township has established as a value for each property for 2022. If you feel your assessed value is not accurate for what your property could sell for in the current market, we encourage you to speak with the tax assessor, who can confirm that Township records accurately show the correct number of rooms, bathrooms, etc. The assessor may also be able to send you comparable sales used to justify your 2022 assessment. If you do not feel that you are being properly assessed, you can appeal your 2022 assessed value to the Somerset County Board of Taxation by Monday, May 2, 2022 (May 1st is a Sunday). For properties valued at $1 million or more, you may also appeal to the State Tax Court.
While the 2022 tax rate is not yet known, the breakdown of your 2021 total tax bill is as follows:
18% Green Brook Township & Green Brook Open Space
16% Somerset County, Library & County Open Space
66% Green Brook Board of Education
As Tax Assessor Laura Whitaker is part-time here in Green Brook, the best way to reach her is by e-mail, so that she can reply with relevant property and sales information. Her e-mail address is: LWhitaker@greenbrooktwp.org
Ms. Whitaker may also be reached by cell at (908) 295-4827. Please be sure to leave your name, address, Block/Lot/Qual information and a phone number if you reach her voicemail.
For instructions and forms to file an appeal with the Somerset County Tax Board, please contact them at (908) 541-5701 or visit their website at: https://www.co.somerset.nj.us/residents/tax-board
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