Nutley 2023 Town Budget: Tax Hike Less Than Expected, Official Says

NUTLEY, NJ — When Nutley town officials first floated a potential municipal tax hike in April, Commissioner Thomas Evans said the final numbers might change. Last week, Evans confirmed they have – and local homeowners will now be paying $130 less than expected.

The Nutley Board of Commissioners introduced the proposed municipal budget during their April 4 meeting. At the time, Evans said the amount to be raised from local taxpayers – including for the library – came to $44.94 million. The proposed budget would have meant a municipal tax bill of $4,438 for a Nutley homeowner with a property assessed at $496,801, a $227 increase from last year.

Evans pointed out that the average home assessment has risen about $170,861 since a recent round of revaluations in the township.

• Read More: Nutley Housing Market Is 'Booming,' Home Values Soar: Officials
• Read More: Nutley Residents May Get 'Sticker Shock' Over Property Revaluations

After some rigorous work, township administrators managed to whittle down the tax increase to $124, but they weren’t finished yet, Evans reported at the board’s June 8 meeting. Watch footage below (video is cued to the budget discussion).

The board postponed a vote on the budget amendment to push harder, eventually chopping an extra $300,000 from the municipal spending plan. Additional reductions were made in public safety and legal expenses, Evans said.

Now, the proposed tax hike comes to $95, “well under $100,” which was the goal, he added.

The board passed the amendment at their June 8 meeting. Public comment and adoption of the budget is scheduled for the next meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20 at Town Hall, 1 Kennedy Drive.

Property taxes in New Jersey are made up of three parts: school, municipal and county. See Related: Property Tax Bills In Belleville And Nutley Are Growing, NJ Data Shows

Here’s how that played out in Nutley last year:

• School – 50.1%
• Municipal – 33.8%
• County – 16%

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