Corrado: Property Taxes Continue to Increase Under Murphy’s Tenure

It’s bad enough the average property tax bill in New Jersey is more than $9,000, but it’s far higher in many areas of the state. Senator Kristin Corrado noted it is strange the Governor is bragging that the state’s worst-in-the-country property taxes have gotten worse.

“Residents have repeatedly cited property taxes as their top concern,” said Corrado. “Families living in average homes, with three bedrooms and a couple baths are paying almost $800 in property taxes every month — or more than $9,200 this year.  Boasting about that is delusional.”

In response to an article in NJ.com, Corrado noted that property taxes and a series of new and increased taxes are suffocating New Jerseyans struggling to keep up in Murphy’s post-pandemic environment.

“The conditions residents are dealing with every day are in stark contrast to the rosy picture painted by the Governor in his speech this week,” Corrado said. “Murphy’s recent statements prove he is disconnected. It is clear he doesn’t comprehend the burden his policies have created for hard-working families, seniors on fixed incomes and everybody in between.”

State residents are desperate for a property tax solution, Corrado said, and called on the Governor and Legislature to once-and-for-all address the convoluted school funding formula and its impact on property taxes.

“It is no secret. School funding is the primary driver of property taxes in New Jersey,” Corrado said. “The increases in school funding the Governor crows about were in some select districts while more than 200 school districts had their state aid cut even as the state jacked up every tax it could find. Until Trenton fixes the broken funding formula, property taxes will continue to escalate, and New Jersey will remain unaffordable.”

Previously, Senate Republicans urged the Governor to use federal funds to increase or stabilize aid to schools that the Governor cut and to fix the state funding formula for the long term.  Both proposals have been ignored.

“The only way to truly control taxes at any level is to reduce government costs,” Corrado said. “This governor has allowed important laws that controlled costs to sunset and he has ignored dozens of proposals to control costs from Republicans and members of his own party. Across the nation, New Jersey is known for ridiculously high property taxes. We need to change.”