At the monthly meeting of the Barnegat Light Borough Council, Tax Assessor Ed Seeger gave a status report on the borough-wide property tax revaluation that was ordered by the state.
Of the 1,300 ratable properties, about 73% have been fully inspected, he said.
Preliminary calculations draw an eyebrow-raising early conclusion: “If the numbers we have today were to go on the books, the town would be increasing 130%, so it’s more than doubling in value.”
What that would mean for individual property owners is if a home’s value goes up 100%, that’s still less than the overall 130% increase, so the likely result will be a tax decrease. Others’ taxes could go up “rather significantly,” he said. “That’s a function of the process.” Those whose assessment goes up less than 130% would have a wash or a favorable outcome. If a house’s value goes up 160% or 170% over the previous year, there would be a tax increase.
“Some will see significant increases, and some will see a nice savings,” he said. “Some win and some lose, unfortunately.”
The wheels of property value assessment are driven by state statute, he said. Barnegat Light’s last revaluation was 10 years ago. The timing is determined by the ratio of assessment to market value; 100% is where it starts after the revaluation, but as the years pass, the assessed value stays the same while the market value goes up.
“When the ratio drops below 85%, the county starts sending warning letters,” Seeger said. “Barnegat Light’s is currently about 50%.” The delay is because only two firms in the state conduct the revals.
“When the revaluation is done, all properties are supposed to be brought to approximately true market value as of Oct. 1 of the prior year,” Seeger said.
The total assessment includes the value of the land plus the value of the improvements. But vacant buildable lots will certainly see a tax increase next year, he said.
“The value of buildable lots compared to current assessments has just skyrocketed,” he said. They’ll be starting at $1 million.
By law, the letters notifying homeowners of their new values cannot be mailed until after Election Day. Contact details will be provided to make an appointment to discuss or challenge the inspector’s assessment.
There is a review process that tries to ensure the fewest possible mistakes are made, Seeger said. “This is a human-involved process,” he said. “It’s not flawless, but they try and do the best job they can.”
An appeal can be filed with the Ocean County Board of Taxation, he said, and the case might be heard by next summer. (State tax court could take a year longer.)
“If the town were to simply double in value and all budget line times stayed the same, which they don’t, year to year, the tax rate would get cut in half,” according to Seeger. “In this case we’re going up roughly 130%, so you’ll probably see a tax rate cut of 55% to 60%, potentially.”
In other news, the borough has faced some challenges in recent months with trapping activity – of possums, raccoons and other wildlife. The trapping and killing are being done by licensed wildlife service companies and, possibly, by some private citizens.
Stafford Township’s Animal Control Officer Kelly Karch attended the meeting to shine some light on the rules and protocol.
“A lot of people don’t think there’s a lot of wildlife on Long Beach Island, and there is. They have always been here. We have everything from coyote, foxes, groundhogs, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, and countless bird species. They play a critical role in the ecosystem.”
If a wild animal is causing property damage, by entering through a soffit or fireplace, maybe tearing up sheathing – “a real nuisance animal,” she said – a property owner is allowed to hire a licensed wildlife removal company.
Mayor Ed Wellington asked Karch about protocol for animals caught accidentally in traps set for feral cats. They would be released on site, she said. Skunks and raccoons, however, are rabies vector species, she said, so they cannot be relocated outside Barnegat Light. If not safely released, a professional may humanely euthanize the animal, “which is not necessary.”
Keep critters at bay by being proactive and walking the perimeter, she said. Check hiding places and secure trash can lids. “Anything to prevent wildlife from wanting to come onto my yard, to make it less attractive to them, goes a long way,” Karch said.
Non-harmful deterrents such as talk radio, motion sensor-activated sprinklers, lights and exclusion traps were suggested by resident Joy Luedtke.
“There are ways to do this without killing animals,” she said.
Code enforcer Jeffrey “Sponge” Washburn asked about recourse for dealing with residents who might be baiting, trapping and killing wildlife frivolously. Some are upset because they don’t like the sound of howling, he noted.
Reputable wildlife companies will not dispatch an animal without reason, Karch said. For legitimacy’s sake, traps need to be marked with a service company’s name, phone and license number. If someone is trapping illegally, animal control officers can visit them and try to provide education, she said.
“One thing with possums, they are fantastic for the municipality,” she said. “They eat ticks, spiders, all the things we don’t want in our environment that are dangerous to us humans and also our pets.”
Her officers will not come out to pick up a healthy animal, she said. Trapping and relocating only makes the population grow, because more resources to go around means bigger litters.
Barnegat Light’s code allows bird feeders, but not ground feeding. For feral cats, she recommends keeping a strict meal schedule and not leaving bowls down unattended.
Raccoons are generally not aggressive toward domesticated pets, she said, but responsible pet ownership means keeping rabies vaccines up to date and watching the pets when they’re in the yard. Send doorbell camera footage of suspicious or sick-appearing wild animals to the animal control office. “We get a lot of mangy foxes over here,” she said.
As far as coyotes go, Karch said, “They’re here, they’re part of the environment, … they’re a protected game species.”
