Belleville Revaluation To Impact Local Taxes In 2019: Officials

BELLEVILLE, NJ — An appraisal company has completed its town-wide revaluation of Belleville, with tax impacts set to take effect for local property owners this summer, officials said.

Professional Property Appraisers, Inc. has completed a total revaluation of all properties located within the Township of Belleville, municipal officials announced on Jan. 24. The revaluation has been approved by the director of the Division of Taxation for the State of New Jersey and the Essex County Board of Taxation.

Belleville residents won’t see the tax impact of the revaluation until their July 2019 tax bills, officials said.

The township is one of several in the area that was recently ordered to conduct a property revaluation by the Essex County Board of Taxation. Other Essex County towns that have conducted revaluations in the past few years include Caldwell, Livingston , Millburn and Verona.

Belleville officials previously offered a FAQ guide about property revaluations that can be seen here.

According to the New Jersey Treasury Department, a property revaluation is a program undertaken by a municipality to appraise all real property within the taxing district according to its "full and fair value." Learn more about property revaluations in New Jersey here.

"A revaluation program seeks to spread the tax burden equitably within a municipality," the NJ Treasury Department states. "Real property must be assessed at the same standard of value to ensure that every property owner is paying his or her fair share of the property tax. For example, two properties having essentially the same market value should be paying essentially the same amount in property taxes."

Although almost all properties' values rise during a revaluation, it doesn't necessarily mean that all property taxes will increase, state officials say.

"You might now be thinking, 'How can my assessment increase and my taxes not go up?'" state officials explain. "Remember, assessments are merely a base used to apportion the tax burden. The tax burden is the amount that your municipality must raise for the operation of county and local government and support of the school system."

During a revaluation, assessors visit individual homes and conduct both inside and outside inspections. Property owners who disagree with the eventual assessed value of their homes can arrange an informal hearing or file an appeal with the County Board of Taxation.

Professional Property Appraisers will be available for individual consultation with Belleville property owners at Town Hall, 152 Washington Avenue in Belleville. Learn more here. To schedule an appointment, call 1-(800)-410-5815 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call no later than Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. Day, evening and Saturday appointments will be available. Bring this letter, along with a copy of any relevant information that can be used for further consideration. Due to time and office space limitations, only appointments will be taken – no walk-ins will be available.

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