Introducing the West Orange Property Tax Rewards Program

During my term as Councilman, I have had the opportunity to work on and vote in favor of three consecutive 0% municipal tax increases. We have also rolled back municipal expenditures to 2008 levels and as we move West Orange forward through what has been the most difficult of economic times, we are proudly announcing a new program which can help all of us continue to cut back on property taxes while helping stimulate our local economy. 

At this Tuesday's Council meeting, we will be introducing the West Orange Property Tax Rewards Program. Just like reward cards, we will now able to earn property tax credits while we shop at our local businesses. Here is how it will work:

To participate, you sign up for a Property Tax Rewards Card (PTC) either at town hall or online. After enrolling in the program, you will be able to use your PTC swipe card at any participating business. Each business will set its own tax rebate amount, which can vary widely from 2% upwards to 30%+ of a purchase. The rebate funds are then transferred into into a West Orange Township dedicated account and applied as a credit to your next property tax bill!  If you are a renter or work in the town instead of a property tax rebate, you will receive a rebate check in the mail.

It is important to note that the West Orange Property Tax Rewards Program does not cost the town anything. Businesses pay a $10 monthly participating fee essentially for local advertising and promoting to a captive audience. Continued support by all of us will assure high awarenesses of what our businesses community has to offer. Most importantly, the power to continue cutting back on our property taxes will be in our hands!     

I hope to see you all at our May 7th Council meeting with the Shop Local presentation beginning at 6:30 PM. (agenda may be found here http://www.westorange.org/agendacenter ) or if you miss our meeting you can view it online starting Friday at our www.WestOrange.org website.

There are many specifics about this program, which I did not cover so I encourage you to email me at vcirilo@WestOrange.org with your questions or any other matter that you may wish to discuss!