.33" County Leader JVewapapers VOL.57 NO.4S SPRINGFIELD, N.J,, THURSDAY, JULY 31,1984-2* Two sections . 35 cents Results of revaluation'taxinq' : ByMARKYABLONSKY ". ^ •' •• .. ^^ Springfield Tax Assessor Thomas McCiillum is a busy man Uiesejgyp,. As ; enforced. The1 lfryear limit is a "guideline that is suggested, but hot man- a town authority on taxation, he Is being besieged with calls and complaints dated," he added; : — I—-sbout-thBTiew:tax-rate8-now4n-effect-as-theresultof-the recent-revaluation, Regardless^Lstaiutes.Jiowever, many concur that Springfield's time for that has left many township residents hopping mad — and some others In a reassessment had come, givenlhe 1883 countydirective. —-• ^ quandary.. •'•• ; ^Absolutely," said former Committeeman William Ruocco, wfib was the Always having the reputation's "a nice place to live," real estate value in township's mayor in 1983; "We hadn't been revalued since 1973rBaslcally— Springfleld has been Increasing steadily within the past decade. But along our feeling was that it was best to do it at that time, so if we would have , with large hikes In the four local budgets —.county, municipal, regional and delayed^we would have had litigation, and eventually we would have had to . "1o^"sdnral-bTOixb-:--^the--new^tax-ratei-represent-a-b!gger-and-more__revalue,.anyway,_The procedure was that we had to do it. The longer you . dramatic increase, which, in some cases, has seen some residents paying a delay, the more you have to pay. It's as simple as that. third more in property taxes. "We enjoyed a period of no revaluation for a long time, and everything - "We ch'ose to live In Sprlngflaid because the taxes were significantly lower catches up in this system of ours." *** COME SEE US — WE'RE SMALL, BUT WE'RE NICE than In other towns, and we really feel burned by this," complained Arlene "Had-we done It in a different year where you didn't have such large In-, (Jlelscher of South Derby-Road, who movjed to town with her husband two creases, the levy wouldn't have been as high," insisted Mayor William Cleri, years agd~from Manhattan. "Every reasdn we moved to Springfield for has who contended that revaluation could ha ve been delayed for a year or two. been negated,". — While Meeker agreed that litigation would have delayed the order, it would On paper, the new rate of $1.73 per $100 of assessed valuation appears to be have been "expensive to the municipality." Reassessment would have come an Improvement frqm the previous rate of $4,18. The decrease, however, is anyway, he said. WE'RE THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: due to the net valuation taxable rate of the four budgets rising from The county tax administrator also explained that when people choose to $361,289,921 a year ago to the current mark of $995,279,616. Along with the appeal their assessment value,' they are really saying their assessment revaluation-— which incorporates the state law mandating that all property "Value is higher.than their market value, which would have to be proved. be assessed at 100 percent — the.reason for the sharp increase becomes Determined by sales, market values in Springfield indicate that the town is a apparent. ' , • ' ' - ..':•• Lj • . desirable place in which to live. One house recently assessed at $113,000 was ' With the reassessment, however, came a sudden shift which has now sold for nearly $50,000-more, while a similar case.occurred In a more ex- placed much of the burden on residential home owners, while commercial—pensive area of town. \ and Industrial property-owners are not affected nearly as much. That caused ''Mm-iro.Market valu.»!.»e iiDs between the willing buyer and the willing seller," 1 1 one angry town resident to claim at a recent Township Committee meeting Meeker-emphaslzed-LlThey're the ones that determine market value. And ' . 250 MORRIS AVENUES SPRINGFIELD • that homeowners are being forced to subsidize the people, who have Income- the assessor must assess at market value." , ..'••' producing properties.--' • . Tommorow is the date that payment of the first three quarters of the ***** LUNCHEON * DINNER * COCKTAILS" ***** "The single family homes have gone up-in value to other propetty,!l_ retroactive reassessment rates are due. Appeals'to the .county taxation acknowledged Union County Tax Administrator-John Me«ker. "And.that's. board must be made before Aug. 15, McCullum said. - . ; why there has been a shift in tax dollars. The whole Northeast Corridor's like "The tax ratejvould" have increased this yearwithout the revaluation," SO YOU. CAN GET TO KNOW US,. WE'RE OFFERING TO YOU SPRINGFIELD that../ ',•' '__ ' . ... •...-... ,*. :' McCullum stated. "Look at how values have gone up since last October."^ "The underlying problem is that property tax is expected to pay far more "The taxes.are fair in light of the currentrlaw; butrl don'tthlnkthe current— RESIDENTS-THE BEST STEAK IN THE STATE— 18 OUNCES OF BONELESS, than it should to support the costs of government," he added. • law is fair," concluded Committeeman Stanley Kaisli. -._ —Asaresultofthe new tax rates, which are retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year, -TENDER, JUICY STEAK ON A. TWO F-OR-ONE STEAK DINNER INTRODUCTORY there has been speculation as to whether or not revaluation could have been OFFER_—: TWO 18 OZ STEAKS FOR THE REGULAR MENU PRICE OF ONE! ! ! avoided, or at least delayed for some time. With the town last having revaluation done In 1973, Springfield was ordered by the Union County Board 2 nabbed in chase of Taxation to undergo reassessment: in March of 1983, with approval from $8.95!! PRICE INCLUDES BAKED POTATO AND SALAD!'•••' ••••• state director of taxation, John Baldwin, coming one month later. "'•. _ A high-speed chase, beginning in "Be driving a stolen vehicle, en- Springfield and involving three countered a roadblock set up by Also at question is whether or not state law mandates that revaluation be people allegedly in possession of a ' done every 10 years, as some have claimed, According to a 1918 state.statute, Hillside police at Bloy Street. After stolen vehicle ended early In the striking a police car, however, the THE. COUPON BELOW MAY BE PRESENTED FOR DINNER ON ANY DAY FROM* -"All real propertyshall be assessed to the person owning the same on Oct. 1 morning on July 21 in Irvlngtorvbut • In ea'ipli'yeari'.'iAslater' statute alsoiRequires- that the' taxation! division three cut off of the thoroughfare and ~JuLY"24Tr"To~:JuL:Y~30TH r -HOWEVER ,-- ON -FRIDAY--( JUL.YL25TH) :AND . not before numerous vehicles w,ere eventually reached the intersection ; IC:"" .V* : damaged atid one' of the offenders ''.of lUt. Vernon arid Chester avenues ba,tter-~ln"E^iday- night's regular-season finale for the . 1933,-lnvestlgate in edchcQunty.assessments made against any property.; had escaped. i , i ^S%URDAY-J-JUL-Y_26TH), IN ADDITION TO THE. COUPON, A RESERVATION •SbrlhdfleJdArflerican Legion baseball team at Ruby Field., The director may, after due investigation, order ormake a reassessment of in Irvington, where one of the Tne.-westf le|d-CeSl'denlflnished_the:year with a 6-0 reCoridand_V any property undervalued, or a reassessment of all property in the county;" Resp"onding_to_a call from the suspects escaped after jumping out MUST BE MADE IN ORDER TO HONOR THE OFFERING.. a_2>12earriedrUli aVerag'evSee story on Page 12. " * r Meeker explained^that"the~courttyrealizes -municipalitiesdon't-have _.Holj_dayjnnjn Springfield_ that a_n^ ofthe car. ^ ;.,.'.•. ; •'•'.'•'.''•• '•:. - ' (Photoby Joe Long) enough funds to conduqt yearly reassessments, so the former statute is riot automobile was being '"tampered pr with, township-Patrolmen David Foster caught up with' I9ryjar-bld Hartung and John Foster arrived at Anthony Anglin ot irvington, ana the scene at 3:50v a.m. -and charged him with . possession of v -'I. • discovered three men fleeing the stolen property and for resisting' learn how to raise children Route. 22 property at a high speed. arrest. Anglin was later treated at After leading the two officer? into Overlook Hospital for a head Injury ByMARKYABLONSKY fererit components, of which Child first-hand the responsibilities of 11:30 a.m1,_20 children between the Mountainside, the three suspects -OirP-.Servlrpsjs.ftine. It Is open to caring for children. agesT>f"3 a"mnrafe" cared for on a that required some 60 stitches. While ,'many people take the - made an abrupt U-turn back onto the After-other cars were damaged in i Q-—S».-#: raising and /caring of children for ; upperclassmen' who are con- Beginning in the junior year, "first-come,, flrst-seryedjiasis." An .*••.. CLYDE' 1 1 . eastern lane of the highway, and Irvington sidestreets, the chase • granted, 'there are others who templating preparation' for" entry-; anyone interested; in child services actual alternative to ,day~eare continued their attempt to flee. level employment or post hjghr begins instruction at Governor centers, working parents can enter', ; finally ended at Webster Avenue,' regard it as on actual field of study. where Hillside police charged the Many of those are contemplating a school education in child services. Livingston High School, Berkeley their children in the.program for With added units , Jrom - the And it servesia purpose, Heights, the only place In the district •just $10 and two cans of fruit juice. ... dr.iver, a juvenile, with receiving 2 FOR 1 STEAK DINNER caTeer as a nanny or •full-time Springfield, Mountainside, and stolen property, resisting arrest, "The, program is beneficial '—where the program Is offered. After "I think the overriding factor .in . Union County police joining the our setting is the low expense and and numerous motor vehicle iklfijTcare of children — other because It gives students an-op- one year oMralning^actuaLffiork; pursuit, th'e suspects, later found to violations.