Issues of 2012: Looking Ahead Into the New Year

Hasbrouck Heights dealt with many challenges this past year on different levels. For the municipality, it was a difficult budget year, which resulted in . At the school level, there were many , some of which carry over into the new year.

As 2012 gets underway, residents will begin to see how some of the events from this past year may play out in this new year.

When it comes to budgeting, challenges are expected and Mayor Rose Heck says she hopes there will be some new ratables in the future.

Although final numbers have not been received yet, the market indicates that the results of the recent property re-assessment process may possibly result in a shift of some of the tax burden away from residential owners and on to commercial property owners, Borough Administrator Mike Kronyak explained.

Over the next several days and into next week, property owners will begin receiving a letter informing them of their new assessed value, Kronyak said. The letters will show the new assessed value compared to the old and more information will be available online via Appraisal Systems, Inc. the company that was hired to do the re-assessment.

Kronyak said property owners will also be able to meet with representatives from Appraisal Systems to discuss comparisons between the old and new values.

Borough officials decided to conduct the re-assessment process this year as a result of a record number of foreclosures and tax appeals so that values would be assessed fairly to the current state of the market.

Some big decisions will need to be made in the school district concerning the future in administration at the high school.

Following the , the Board of Education put . Linda Simmons, who had just been moved from Euclid Elementary to the middle school earlier this year, was named interim principal for the high school until June 2012 while still serving at the middle school helm. Teachers Joseph Mastropietro and Catherine Cassidy were taken out of the classroom to serve as interim assistant principals also until June 2012.

In the meantime, Superintendent Dr. Mark Porto said he and the board would discuss the future of the administrative structure at the school.

It is expected that early on in the new year the community will learn whether the board will be recruiting for a new principal at one of the levels or if they will formulate a new structure perhaps based on this interim one.