General Discussion

Trekologer

(1,078 posts)

115. Well...

Sat Oct 25, 2014, 08:25 AM

Oct 2014

In New Jersey, we have pretty high (shall I say outrageous) property taxes--statewide average last year was $7,988 with some counties close to or over $10,000. We also have personal income tax (brackets of 1.4% through 8.97%) AND sales tax (7%). The NJ Constitution mandates that personal income tax is used to reduce property tax burdens though aid to municipalities and homestead rebates (which the current administration has cut back considerably). That means that the state government mostly runs on the sales tax and business tax.

Why are property taxes so high and why do municipalities need the additional aid? NJ has 565 municipalities, 21 counties, and 603 school districts. Most municipalities have their own police departments. Some counties have both sheriff's and county police agencies. New Jersey desperately needs consolidation of local agencies. The duplication at the top (management) is bleeding the citizens dry.

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Are property taxes stopping many from home ownership [View all] scarystuffyo Oct 2014 OP

Taxes are how govt pays for things. Figure out where else the money can come from before... Hekate Oct 2014 #1

Property taxes help make the community livable . . . brush Oct 2014 #72

Agreed. I am not anti-tax, believe me. The other thing that suffered here was schools Hekate Oct 2014 #83

Without Prop. 13 I would have lost my house Sen. Walter Sobchak Oct 2014 #81

Not quite that bad here Retrograde Oct 2014 #97

Prop 13 is actually the reason CA's real estate market is not stable, why you bubbled so hard Bluenorthwest Oct 2014 #116

Prop. 13 was a result of municipalities aggressively reassessing properties at inflated values Sen. Walter Sobchak Oct 2014 #131

I live in a very high property tax area...Over 5000 per year for 1600 sq ft home on small lot. The empressof all Oct 2014 #2

Me, too. Just got my statement. $7,288 for a 450 sf one bedroom condo! NYC_SKP Oct 2014 #110

We have great schools where I live. And most school levys always pass. nt Logical Oct 2014 #3

Mine are way too high. bigwillq Oct 2014 #4

Which small town? NutmegYankee Oct 2014 #95

Not really JustAnotherGen Oct 2014 #5

My property taxes this year are $14,750. meaculpa2011 Oct 2014 #6

Wow that's nuts scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #8

NY, CT Or NJ? The empressof all Oct 2014 #11

Not sure where that poster lives but I live in CT and, yes, taxes are outrageous. bigwillq Oct 2014 #14

CT scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #18

You live in CT or the poster you asked does? bigwillq Oct 2014 #21

I'm sorry , I live in CT scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #22

Great. Me too! bigwillq Oct 2014 #23

I love everything about this state scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #25

The winter is part of the high tax though. NutmegYankee Oct 2014 #88

Oh I know snow removal costs but there's a lot of waste in this state scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #102

The Casinos aren't doing that well. NutmegYankee Oct 2014 #104

They still pay the state 25% of all slot revenue even now scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #105

$279 million and falling. NutmegYankee Oct 2014 #106

Holy cow that's a big drop scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #107

NY. South shore of Nassau County, Long Island four miles from the Queens line. meaculpa2011 Oct 2014 #17

Young folks buying in that area has always been a problem The empressof all Oct 2014 #27

We were very lucky. meaculpa2011 Oct 2014 #32

Are you from my hometown tabbycat31 Oct 2014 #15

I'm in Oceanside. And you? n/t meaculpa2011 Oct 2014 #19

Grew up in the White Plains area tabbycat31 Oct 2014 #53

Well, then, people in Portland, Oregon can stop complaining. HuckleB Oct 2014 #51

Makes me feel a lot better about the $9,049 tax bill I just got! REP Oct 2014 #58

My school taxes are more than double my municipal... Historic NY Oct 2014 #7

My town told me 78% of my taxes are for school taxes , do you get two bills or is it lumped together scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #12

We have two seperate bills... Historic NY Oct 2014 #108

I think the elderly should get significant property tax exemptions TexasMommaWithAHat Oct 2014 #9

you can't scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #13

Many states and cities have tax relief programs for the elderly , disabled, and disabled veterans. Lars39 Oct 2014 #20

I know in Florida they get a discount RockaFowler Oct 2014 #28

Borderline and Yes One_Life_To_Give Oct 2014 #10

So many Red Herrings out there. Wellstone ruled Oct 2014 #16

Damn right! TexasMommaWithAHat Oct 2014 #24

^this^ catrose Oct 2014 #31

New Hampshire ? scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #33

TX eom catrose Oct 2014 #45

I'm in NH Silent3 Oct 2014 #76

You guys are like us when it comes to property tax scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #77

Yes, at least we're spared sales tax and income tax. OTOH, since my wife and I don't cook much... Silent3 Oct 2014 #79

I don't know how long you've been in Texas... malokvale77 Oct 2014 #49

Well... Trekologer Oct 2014 #115

I don't think so frazzled Oct 2014 #26

No, The student loan problem is the biggest mortgage problem and the new social norms CK_John Oct 2014 #29

We've been wanting to downsize spinbaby Oct 2014 #30

They are attempting to raise everyone where I live 17% - in one year! maced666 Oct 2014 #34

I knowa couple of people if that happened here it could mean losing their homes scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #65

I would rather tax the rich, who can afford to be taxed Trajan Oct 2014 #35

I pay some of the lowest property taxes Le Taz Hot Oct 2014 #36

Mine are a shade under 14k. cherokeeprogressive Oct 2014 #82

Im ok with my property taxes Travis_0004 Oct 2014 #37

You don't avoid the impact of property taxes if you rent karynnj Oct 2014 #38

I'm in NM, and my property taxes are rather low. SheilaT Oct 2014 #39

Here in Orange County, NC, realtors advertise houses with Chapel Hill schools but no CH taxes. mnhtnbb Oct 2014 #40

My taxes are $400.00 on a $50,000 house CBGLuthier Oct 2014 #41

A year? scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #42

Yes CBGLuthier Oct 2014 #62

South Carolina? W_HAMILTON Oct 2014 #44

Oklahoma CBGLuthier Oct 2014 #63

No, but then we are still on the Prop 13 level... Tikki Oct 2014 #43

Ask that question when you don't have the burden Shankapotomus Oct 2014 #46

My mortgage payment is less than I was paying for rent REP Oct 2014 #57

Renters pay them too whatthehey Oct 2014 #47

No. Property taxes aren't bank-breaking. My energy bills are higher blm Oct 2014 #48

Property taxes have always been a part of one's home payment. HuckleB Oct 2014 #50

Raise top rax rate to 90% where it belongs fed, raise state income tax rate accordingly randys1 Oct 2014 #52

They did in Boston Warpy Oct 2014 #54

Mine keep dropping. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Oct 2014 #55

Wow, that's rotten luck. Hope the economy where you are turns around soon and takes KingCharlemagne Oct 2014 #87

I'm guessing it at a 20 year rebound if that. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Oct 2014 #90

My wife and I always said to each other that we were buying a place to live and not a KingCharlemagne Oct 2014 #98

How about a graduated property tax? ozone_man Oct 2014 #56

I don't know if that would be fair on peoples homes scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #61

For the 50% mill rate who can't afford that, ozone_man Oct 2014 #66

It just doesn't sound right to me scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #69

Oh, this will be a national policy. ozone_man Oct 2014 #70

hehe scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #71

Think of it like health care. ozone_man Oct 2014 #73

just a side note.. I love Vermont scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #74

It was just pie in the sky thinking. ozone_man Oct 2014 #78

Property isn't valued equally across the nation. NutmegYankee Oct 2014 #92

Location is taxable! ozone_man Oct 2014 #100

So what you actually are proposing is to screw the blue states. NutmegYankee Oct 2014 #101

Not thinking red or blue. ozone_man Oct 2014 #109

You don't seem to understand. NutmegYankee Oct 2014 #120

Stagnant and unstable wages are probably a bigger factor Marrah_G Oct 2014 #59

I guess I'm lucky to be in California? zappaman Oct 2014 #60

You're the 2nd person who said CA isn't bad scarystuffyo Oct 2014 #64

CA here. Almost $14k n/t cherokeeprogressive Oct 2014 #84

You posted pics of the place. Nobody's crying for you. LeftyMom Oct 2014 #85

But aren't your housing costs outrageous? Erich Bloodaxe BSN Oct 2014 #91

That's true in Southern California and the Bay Area Le Taz Hot Oct 2014 #94

I think he's somewhere around Berkley Erich Bloodaxe BSN Oct 2014 #96

Berkely is in the Bay Area. Le Taz Hot Oct 2014 #103

It varies wildly by community. LeftyMom Oct 2014 #99

Here's a house for sale PasadenaTrudy Oct 2014 #123

Coughing a lung up... Erich Bloodaxe BSN Oct 2014 #125

Insanity, isn't it? PasadenaTrudy Oct 2014 #130

Talk to your state and local governments. But many will blame the Feds. nt kelliekat44 Oct 2014 #67

We have Prop. 13 to thank... PasadenaTrudy Oct 2014 #68

Property taxes played a big role in where we bought our home 5 years ago krawhitham Oct 2014 #75

They work out to just over $100/mo and the assessed value is arguably too high. LeftyMom Oct 2014 #80

Yes. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2014 #86

no ibegurpard Oct 2014 #89

In California (2 BR Condo). About $250/month for us. I feel it is too high, b/c KingCharlemagne Oct 2014 #93

3 questions: Maybe, no and possibly. flvegan Oct 2014 #111

taxes on my house here in AZ has dropped 75% in the last 3 years Pakhet Oct 2014 #112

Question makes no sense. MadrasT Oct 2014 #113

Our property taxes doubled last year madokie Oct 2014 #114

Property taxes melm00se Oct 2014 #117

Seniors get breaks in my state treestar Oct 2014 #118

I challenged mine and partially won ecstatic Oct 2014 #119

Well.... Adrahil Oct 2014 #121

Welcome to DU alcibiades_mystery Oct 2014 #122

No. Lack of money and student debt TBF Oct 2014 #124

It isn't the property taxes redstatebluegirl Oct 2014 #126

Depends on where you're talking about customerserviceguy Oct 2014 #127

Property taxes are always an issue in home ownership. MineralMan Oct 2014 #128

I can't speak for others, but it is my one fear, as a relatively new widow age 64. WinkyDink Oct 2014 #129