Local property values are not always a major issue in congressional campaigns, but to Jay Webber, it’s all about credibility.

Webber, the GOP candidate in CD-11, is attacking Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill for saying federal tax reform will hurt New Jersey property values.

Not so, says Webber, who cites a New York Times study that concluded property values are actually on the rise in New Jersey and in a district that includes parts of Essex, Morris, Passaic and Sussex counties.

His campaign accused Sherrill of “trying to scare voters.”

The issue at hand actually goes beyond property values.

Webber backs the federal tax reform package as something that will benefit average families in the district.

Sherrill has said tax reform will hurt people by capping the deduction for state and local taxes at $10,000. Many homeowners in the district pay more than $10,000 a year in property taxes alone. Additionally, she has said the cap will lower property values by making homes less valuable to prospective buyers.

Webber presented real estate market data that said the median price of homes in New Jersey has risen by 5.1 percent from last year. And he says home prices are expected to rise in each of the four counties in the district from a low increase of 5.7 percent in Morris to a high increase of 14.2 percent in Sussex.
While there are many variables in home prices and markets always fluctuate, it is interesting that Webber keeps showing support for federal tax reform, which is something four of five Republican House members from New Jersey opposed.

And the release also allowed him to comment on Sherrill’s own house in Montclair, which the Webber campaign called a “6 bedroom estate,” adding that its value is increasing.