Officials Address Concerns Regarding Reassessment Process

Starting this month, representatives from Appraisal Systems will begin reassessing borough properties - and officials want to be sure residents take safety precautions when allowing inspectors into their homes.

The majority of these reassessment inspections will be done to the exterior of homes and therefore - in most cases - there will be no need to let inspectors inside, borough officials said Tuesday night. However there will be some random interior inspections in which the officers from Appraisal Systems, the company authorized to conduct the reassessment, will need to seek admittance to certain homes.

Councilman Justin DiPisa stated that he is aware that many senior residents were especially concerned about allowing people into their homes during the last reassessment.  Many want to be sure they know who exactly they are allowing into their home.

Mike Kronyak, borough administrator, confirmed that the inspectors will all be equipped with the proper ID and their names and specs will be filed at Borough Hall. 

Police Chief Michael Colaneri stated that he encourages residents to call the department if they are unsure about allowing someone into their home. He said he would prefer to send an officer out to make sure all is okay rather than have a resident be subjected to an unsafe situation.

Borough officials do not want residents to be afraid of the reassessment process, a practice which is being conducted in order to ensure that properties are valued fairly in accordance with current economic conditions.

Mayor Rose Heck reiterated that this should be viewed as a positive thing, not a negative one. She added that the borough has had a record number of tax appeals and an inordinate amount of foreclosures and therefore officials want to be sure that properties are assessed at the proper amount so that is fair to everyone.

“We want it to be fair and equitable to all,” Heck stated.

Officials stated the reassessment process will be conducted throughout July, August and September. Homeowners will need to sign off on the assessments before the end of the year and the new numbers will take effect for the 2012 tax year.