It's rare that a township meeting draws a large crowd. There's only a few topics that would illicit such a response - a new "undesirable" business such as a gravel pit or cement factory, the release of a potentially dangerous criminal or, as in the case of Thursday's meeting in Monroe township, reassessments.
About 75 homeowners registered at the township's open book meeting to ask assessors questions about their 2008 assessments. That's about 21 percent of all residential property owners in the town.
Why such a big showing? The town underwent a reassessment for 2008 to bring it in line with state-mandated levels of 90 to 110 percent of full value. The township had been under 90 percent since 2005.
Residents should be applauded for coming out en masse to share concerns over a topic that directly affects them. Many of the residents, however, likely thought that because their property values increased by as much as 52 percent, their property taxes were going to skyrocket as well.
That's not true, and the township should have made a better effort before Thursday's open book to let residents know that sharp increases in property value do not always mean subsequent rises in property taxes.
Town Clerk Karen Sutter and the assessors explained that the mill rate would go down in response to the increased property values.
"We still have to raise the same amount of money," Sutter said.
The mill rate is the amount of money to be raised divided by the property value. If property values go up, but the amount to be raised stays the same, the rate is lower.
The town levied only $90,000 last year, or $1.17 per $1,000 of property value. If the town budget stays the same next year, the cost per $1,000 will be lower, but a resident would probably pay about the same amount with the higher valued home.
And Sutter said the board expects to need the same budget next year.
"We hold pretty hard to the line," Sutter said.
But some residents were not buying the explanation.
"They're just telling us that," resident Sherri Fiduccia said. "We have two years left on the referendum and the Justice Center is in there somewhere."
Now that residents are reacting, the town should take responsibility to lessen the blow. The town should "hold pretty hard to the line" and not ask for more money just because there's more property value to pay for it.
About 75 homeowners registered at the township's open book meeting to ask assessors questions about their 2008 assessments. That's about 21 percent of all residential property owners in the town.
Why such a big showing? The town underwent a reassessment for 2008 to bring it in line with state-mandated levels of 90 to 110 percent of full value. The township had been under 90 percent since 2005.
Residents should be applauded for coming out en masse to share concerns over a topic that directly affects them. Many of the residents, however, likely thought that because their property values increased by as much as 52 percent, their property taxes were going to skyrocket as well.
That's not true, and the township should have made a better effort before Thursday's open book to let residents know that sharp increases in property value do not always mean subsequent rises in property taxes.
Town Clerk Karen Sutter and the assessors explained that the mill rate would go down in response to the increased property values.
"We still have to raise the same amount of money," Sutter said.
The mill rate is the amount of money to be raised divided by the property value. If property values go up, but the amount to be raised stays the same, the rate is lower.
The town levied only $90,000 last year, or $1.17 per $1,000 of property value. If the town budget stays the same next year, the cost per $1,000 will be lower, but a resident would probably pay about the same amount with the higher valued home.
And Sutter said the board expects to need the same budget next year.
"We hold pretty hard to the line," Sutter said.
But some residents were not buying the explanation.
"They're just telling us that," resident Sherri Fiduccia said. "We have two years left on the referendum and the Justice Center is in there somewhere."
Now that residents are reacting, the town should take responsibility to lessen the blow. The town should "hold pretty hard to the line" and not ask for more money just because there's more property value to pay for it.
