The Ridge: The Republicans’ Silent Tax Increase
Watch video: https://youtu.be/KfDLefHGMRo
In 2013, The Ridge at Back Brook golf club filed an appeal of its property tax assessment, a right available to all property owners. At that time, its assessed value was $10.5 million, and The Ridge was the second highest property tax payer in East Amwell. The Ridge was requesting a reduction in its assessment to between $5 million and $6 million.
After repeated attempts over the next several years to reach a compromise agreement with The Ridge failed, the then-bipartisan Township Committee agreed to defend the $10.5 million valuation in court.
In late 2017, a Republican member of the Township Committee stated that any valuation below $9.5 million should be defended. In November of 2018, just before the appeal was to be heard in court, the Republican mayor stated that granting The Ridge a 50% tax reduction would amount to Township residents subsidizing the Ridge’s operations.
And yet, when the Republican mayor and deputy mayor negotiated the final settlement with The Ridge in December of 2018, they did, in fact, agree to a 50% reduction in the club’s assessment — to approximately $5.5 million, down from $10.5 million. While the value of the land was left unchanged, the value of the property improvements was reduced to $850,000 from $6 million.
As a result of this Republican-engineered agreement, The Ridge’s tax payments went down to about $125,000 a year, from about $250,000.
This comes to a revenue loss of about $500,000 over the four years of the agreement. This $500,000 loss is being made up by us, the taxpayers. According to the Township’s tax assessor, this amounted to an increase in our overall tax rate, which includes the Township, the schools, the county government, the fire company, and other taxes, continuing indefinitely.
The tax increase we’re experiencing is non-transparent. Since it was not part of the budgetary process, the public had no opportunity to comment. It’s not readily apparent in our tax bills. But it’s there and it’s a tax increase nonetheless — a “silent tax increase.”
This was a very bad deal for Township taxpayers.
The Republican-controlled Township Committee should not have approved The Ridge’s assessment reduction at the level it did.
As successful businessmen, we know how to be prepared for a tough negotiation. We know how to achieve results that are equitable to all parties.
We’re running for Township Committee to break the Republican 5-0 monopoly on Township affairs and provide professional decision making — out in the open — that benefits all East Amwell residents.
Watch video: https://youtu.be/KfDLefHGMRo
In 2013, The Ridge at Back Brook golf club filed an appeal of its property tax assessment, a right available to all property owners. At that time, its assessed value was $10.5 million, and The Ridge was the second highest property tax payer in East Amwell. The Ridge was requesting a reduction in its assessment to between $5 million and $6 million.
After repeated attempts over the next several years to reach a compromise agreement with The Ridge failed, the then-bipartisan Township Committee agreed to defend the $10.5 million valuation in court.
In late 2017, a Republican member of the Township Committee stated that any valuation below $9.5 million should be defended. In November of 2018, just before the appeal was to be heard in court, the Republican mayor stated that granting The Ridge a 50% tax reduction would amount to Township residents subsidizing the Ridge’s operations.
And yet, when the Republican mayor and deputy mayor negotiated the final settlement with The Ridge in December of 2018, they did, in fact, agree to a 50% reduction in the club’s assessment — to approximately $5.5 million, down from $10.5 million. While the value of the land was left unchanged, the value of the property improvements was reduced to $850,000 from $6 million.
As a result of this Republican-engineered agreement, The Ridge’s tax payments went down to about $125,000 a year, from about $250,000.
This comes to a revenue loss of about $500,000 over the four years of the agreement. This $500,000 loss is being made up by us, the taxpayers. According to the Township’s tax assessor, this amounted to an increase in our overall tax rate, which includes the Township, the schools, the county government, the fire company, and other taxes, continuing indefinitely.
The tax increase we’re experiencing is non-transparent. Since it was not part of the budgetary process, the public had no opportunity to comment. It’s not readily apparent in our tax bills. But it’s there and it’s a tax increase nonetheless — a “silent tax increase.”
This was a very bad deal for Township taxpayers.
The Republican-controlled Township Committee should not have approved The Ridge’s assessment reduction at the level it did.
As successful businessmen, we know how to be prepared for a tough negotiation. We know how to achieve results that are equitable to all parties.
We’re running for Township Committee to break the Republican 5-0 monopoly on Township affairs and provide professional decision making — out in the open — that benefits all East Amwell residents.