In response to your article in the November 4, 2011, WW-P News, “Digging Deeper: Property Taxes”, some points of clarification need to be made. First, I am not “charging” that the Municipal Tax Levy increased 124% over the last ten years, I am highlighting that fact. It is undeniable. It is in the West Windsor Adopted Municipal Budgets from 2001 ($9.8MM) to 2011 ($22.0).
The fact that some property owners may have seen their taxes increase more or less than the aggregate increase is a function of several things, including the reassessment of property values (higher or lower) over this period of time. Also, I have made it perfectly clear that the town had grown over this time period – both in our ads and in statements to the media – by repeatedly pointing out that the population had grown 21% over that same time period. Also, when queried by Ms. Samonte at the debate about inflation, I also pointed out that it had increased 27% over that time period.
My point is simple. Relative to the total school tax increasing 45% in that time period and the total county tax increasing 79% (see Sheet 39 of the Adopted Municipal Budget), the current Administration, backed by a rubber-stamping Town Council, had performed materially worse. These are not opinions – these are facts. These numbers can be verified by anyone that goes to the Town Clerk’s office and submits an OPRA request for the last 10 adopted municipal budgets. For the Municipal Tax Levy, simply turn to “Sheet 3, line 6A”, as I did several months ago.
