Madison Hearing From One-Third of Homeowners About Tax Bills

Madison shares its tax assessor, Lisa Baratto, with Millburn and has arranged to have her spending extra time in Madison to field questions about the new assessed values of homes after the recent borough-wide revaluation, officials said.

More than 4,400 properties were reassessed, and as usually happens, about a third of homeowners' properties were assessed as increasing in value disproportionately more than other properties in the borough did.

Borough Administrator Ray Codey said questions about the tax bills mainly are coming in from the one-third of property owners whose assessments increased more than the borough average of around 60 percent.

He said assessed values increased more in residential apartments and moderate priced homes.

Codey encouraged residents with questions to come in, express their concerns, and receive guidance in how to prepare for a tax appeal, which can be filed between Jan. 1 and April 1 next year.

Mayor Bob Conley said residents should check that improvements to their homes were documented correctly. The accuracy of the assessments has been very good, but officials did encounter one mistake, he said. In that instance, a covered deck was incorrectly marked as an enclosed addition to the home. Residents should check their property cards.

Conley also said residents should see how their assessments compare to their neighbors.