| The Joint Legislative Committee on
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| | venture to guess most residents do not
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| Government Consolidation and Shared
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| | even know which departments in their town
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| Services held its first meeting on 8/806.
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| | are governed by civil service rules.
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| Senator Robert Smith the Committee's
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| | Home rule has its virtues but at what
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| Co-Chairman said "home rule has lead to
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| | cost will property taxpayers say the hell
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| New Jersey having the highest property
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| | with home rule. At some point coercion
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| tax burden of any State in the United
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| | to consolidate is not coercion if it is
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| States". However, he said that their is
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| | the will of the people said Senator Smith
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| no single silver bullet to solve New
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| | of the committee. Has the property tax
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| Jersey's excessive property tax burden.
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| | burden on home owners in New Jersey
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| Nevertheless, the committee is charged
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| | reached the breaking point so that New
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| with coming up with a legislative action
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| | Jersey legislators and the governor will
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| plan to be submitted to the
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| | favor the big stick approach of mandatory
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| Legislature.Senator Smith believes New
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| | consolidation?Basically, property
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| Jersey should look to states that rely on
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| | taxpayers want services they can afford,
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| county school districts, instead of the
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| | service levels that will maintain the
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| local administration in New Jersey that
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| | character of their towns that support the
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| has produced more school districts than
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| | values incorporated in their homes which
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| towns. He called it the most inefficient
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| | is their largest source of wealth in most
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| system in the country. In an August 9,
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| | cases. People also want their services
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| 2006 Asbury Park Press article called
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| | delivered in the most economical way
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| "Sharing Services May Not Pay Off"a New
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| | possible. Senator Smith said to reduce
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| Jersey School Board Association spokesman
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| | New Jersey's average property tax on home
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| said the current law provides that if
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| | owners to the national average will take
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| school districts merge, the larger
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| | a very big vision answer.Tom Hester in an
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| district's union contract is to be the
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| | Asbury Park Press article on 7/3/06
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| one used --- even if its salaries are
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| | called "Some In N.J. May Be Big
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| more generous and there fore costlier to
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| | Loser"said a 2003 Rutgers University
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| taxpayers.Testimony before the committee
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| | study found that reducing the New
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| reported that the State has 1,389
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| | Jersey's 616 school districts by half
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| different entities that can levy property
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| | would save $365 million after four years,
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| taxes, including municipalities school
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| | doing little to cut the $20 billion
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| districts and fire districts. What
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| | collected annually in the New Jersey
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| struck me after listening to the
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| | property tax. Hester went on to quip
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| testimony given to the committee about
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| | that the State has set aside $600 million
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| the history of consolidation in New
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| | in the current year's State budget to cut
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| Jersey is the disjointed, fragmented,
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| | property taxes, but it would have to cut
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| locally driven parochial measures that
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| | property taxes by $6 billion to put
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| have dragged the State into its current
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| | itself at the national property tax
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| State of law and practice regulating
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| | average for the average home
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| consolidation.Ultimately, I believe there
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| | owner.Senator Joseph Kyrilos, Jr. noted
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| is not enough political courage,
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| | at the committee meeting that in New
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| legislators realize that forcing
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| | Jersey 50,000 people have ben added to
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| consolidation will likely cause them to
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| | the government payroll over the last five
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| lose their job, This is especially true
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| | years while 120,000 business jobs have
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| if the State uses the stick approach and
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| | been lost. I think his point was you
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| forces consolidations that at best "over
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| | have to be careful about trying to
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| time" saves only 10% to 20% in costs and
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| | extract more taxes from the business
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| therefore reduces property taxes by a
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| | community. Others at the committee
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| like amount. What is worse is that
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| | meeting noted that property taxes in New
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| consolidation in some cases could wind up
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| | Jersey have risen three times faster than
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| costing more!I am waiting for the
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| | personal income in New Jersey over the
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| discussion to commence on which local
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| | last five years.Testimony at the
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| municipal services are essential local
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| | committee hearing from administrators in
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| government functions and at what cost.
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| | the front line of consolidating local
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| Further, if they do not belong at the
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| | government services said that
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| municipal government level then which
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| | consolidation is not the panacea to New
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| government level should fund them? I
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| | Jersey's excessive property tax burden.
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| believe New Jersey will shift certain
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| | Those administrators said after 30 years
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| local government and school functions to
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| | of attempting various consolidation laws,
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| a higher level of government in the State
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| | consolidation is just a finger in the
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| and establish appropriate cost and
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| | dam. Further testimony at the hearing
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| service levels. District schools
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| | reported that New Zealand went through a
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| consolidated at the county level, the
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| | government upheaval and accomplished a
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| prosecutor's office, county jails, county
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| | 20% reduction in local government
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| school superintendents, moved to the
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| | employees and reduced their over 600
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| State level. But, this represents a
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| | government units to 80. Apparently the
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| very daunting task for a legislative
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| | lesson from New Zealand is to go after
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| committee to assemble into a legislative
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| | the big buck items. If consolidation is
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| action plan by November 15, 2006.Why do
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| | just done on the margin then it will
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| New Jersey residents cling to the concept
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| | represent nothing but a castle of sand
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| of home rule? It is because they like
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| | --- a lot of work undone in a moment with
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| their local school whose teachers and
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| | the next wave of property tax
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| principal they know. They like knowing
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| | increases.Biography: Gerald ‘Jerry'
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| the people who serve on their local
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| | Dowgin "The Property Tax Doctor" and the
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| planning and zoning boards, they like
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| | author of the Homeowner's Assessment
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| their local recreation programs and fear
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| | Review Guide ( a former tax assessor
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| that under consolidation they might be
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| | worked in the field of public finance at
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| spirited off to some other venue if local
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| | the State and local levels in New Jersey
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| control was lost. Some residents in
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| | for more than three decades until his
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| small towns have built up a report with
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| | retirement in 2001. As a Supervising Tax
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| their local public works staff to get
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| | Analyst in the Office of Research and
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| their roads plowed first ... so that
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| | Statistics in the Division of Taxation in
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| their husband can get to work on the
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| | the New Jersey Department of Treasury he
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| midnight shift. Other like the patrol
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| | worked principally on local property tax
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| car coming by once a day, or the fact
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| | issues. Then he joined the Office of
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| that the local police are the first to
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| | Legislative Services (OLS) in 1983 and
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| arrive when there is the need to call an
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| | served as the Secretary to the New Jersey
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| ambulance.These are the items that build
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| | Property Tax Assessment Study Commission
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| character into a community that people
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| | for four years. While working in the
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| want to retain. I believe that generally
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| | OLS, Local Government Section he
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| people do not care who the business
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| | researched, drafted, and estimated the
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| administrator is, or who the assessor is,
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| | cost of the Senior Property Tax Freeze
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| what office handles the collection of
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| | Bill which was signed onto law and worked
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| taxes (but lets not have to drive to the
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| | on legislation that became law that
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| county seat to pay our quarterly
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| | virtually stopped the tax assessment
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| property tax bill). I do not believe
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| | practice of "Spot Assessments" in New
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| people generally care about whether their
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| | Jersey that had treated many property
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| town has civil service or not. I would
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| | taxpayers unfairly.
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