West Orange Tax Hike Looms, Town Council Holds Workshops (WATCH)

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Town Council continues to look for ways to chop away at a potential tax hike that tops 6 percent, officials say.

The council has been meeting for a series of public workshops on the 2025 town budget (watch the videos below). See the proposed 2025 municipal budget here.

Speaking at the latest workshop on May 29, West Orange Council President Joe Krakoviak said the draft budget proposes to raise the municipal portion of a homeowner’s taxes by 6.2 percent.

“So we on the council are looking for efficiencies and savings to lower that increase,” Krakoviak recapped.

>> Read More: Tax Hike Possible In West Orange Town Budget (See Early Numbers)

The council hosted public workshops on May 14, May 21 and May 29 to discuss the spending plan. Watch the videos below (article continues underneath).

Property taxes in New Jersey are mainly made up of three parts: school, municipal and county. Here’s how that played out in West Orange for 2024, according to state data (percentages rounded up):

• School – 61.8%
• Municipal – 26.8%
• County – 11.4%

The West Orange Board of Education unanimously approved the district’s 2025-2026 budget in May. It will come with a 2.3 percent tax levy increase for homeowners. Read More: West Orange School Budget With Staff Cuts, Tax Hike Gets A Green Light

In 2024, the average West Orange resident paid $15,778 in property taxes on a home valued at $336,878 (not including credits and deductions).

Here are the previous five years for comparison:

• 2023 – $15,475 in taxes on a home valued at $336,591
• 2022 – $14,920 in taxes on a home valued at $336,282
• 2021 – $14,701 in taxes on a home valued at $337,703
• 2020 – $14,484 in taxes on a home valued at $338,106
• 2019 – $14,086 in taxes on a home valued at $338,561

Statewide, the average tax bill topped $10,000 for the first time in 2024, landing at a record-high $10,095 – which is still well below what West Orange residents are paying.

>> See Related: Here's How Much West Orange Homeowners Pay In Taxes (2025 Update)

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page.