Eureka!

"There are no creeds in mathematics."--Peter F. Drucker

If you're looking for one place to sum up every problem in Matawan, I've got it for you. The Aberdeener's most recent post lambasting the school board--deservedly so--really brings into focus every single problem we face as a community. What Aberdeener doesn't explicitly mention, but what we will right now, is those problems are further exacerbated by the fact the school board is responsible for THE VAST MAJORITY OF YOUR PROPERTY TAXES. Far more in fact, by a power of 4 or 5 times, than Matawan Borough, Aberdeen Township, and Monmouth County. And who is holding these capricious, dangerous, unanswerable individuals accountable? NO ONE. No one bothers to vote for the school board, no one curtails their spending, no one even cares. But they'll show up at a council meeting to complain about a measly $10,000 here or $25,000 there. Really? How about the $60 million being spend irresponsibly on our most precious resource--our children--every year?


Enough with our commentary, Aberdeener does it more succinctly:

Imagine the following: Your neighbors have entrusted you with their children’s education. They have given you sixty million dollars and asked you to do the best you can with what you have. You recognize the responsibility your neighbors have bestowed upon you; so much of their children’s futures depend on what you do. In such a scenario, would you do any of the following?

1. Give all teachers guaranteed employment for life if they manage three years without getting fired
2. Dole out millions of dollars a year as an incentive for teachers to improve their own education but not one penny as an incentive to improve the education of their students
3. When presented with two candidates to coach the chess club, a local grandmaster willing to work for free or the gym teacher who demands a thousand dollars, choose the gym teacher
4. Adopt the legal minimum standards of education as your own standards
5. Allow students to coast through school by taking only the easiest courses
6. Dedicate more resources on psychiatrists and drug counselors than on the science department
7. Draft a mission statement that doesn't include teaching
8. Guarantee every teacher an automatic raise regardless of performance...

There's more, and it gets even more depressing when Aberdeener illustrates that despite all the spending with Abandon, our children aren't even learning enough to keep up with their neighbors here in Monmouth County, let alone the rest of the world. Real eye-opening stuff.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE THING. IT'S GOOD. CLICK ON IT. TRUST US.


And if after reading that, you're all fired up and want to read some more about the sordid details of the waste, look no further.
CLICK THIS ONE FOR ANOTHER EYE-OPENER.

It will provide some hard numbers about where the money's going, as well as the statistical long-shot it takes to have a board where not one single person votes no to spending anything, ever.

Your house is worth HOW much?

" In searching for the truth be ready for the unexpected." --Heraklietos of Ephesos

So Realty Appraisal Corp, of West New York, NJ, has completed their evaluations of Matawan properties, sent out the re-val letters, and is meeting with property owners who disagree with the assessment and would like to appeal, as well as property owners who just want some help in demystifying the assessment process, or clarifying what the new property valuation means to them. Here's how it breaks down.

The town's preliminary assessment is 2.4 times that of what it was prior to the new valuations. So if your home has increased in value as a result of the re-val less than 2.4 times, your taxes will not go up as a result of the revaluation process, but will in fact be less. Of course, even if the town also doesn't raise taxes this year, you'll still see an increase due to the reckless spending of the school boards, which is the single biggest problem for every single Matawan and Aberdeen resident, not the councils and their spending. But that's another post.

If your assessment increased by that 2.4 times number, then the re-val process will have little to no effect on your taxes, again, absent other criteria like the school budget.

If your assessment increased by more than 2.4 times, then the re-val process will indeed translate to an increase in your taxes, this in addition to any tax increases coming our way from the fiscally irresponsible school board.

Examples:

• Your property was assessed at $100,000 and is now assessed at $220,000. You've more than doubled and are likely nervous. In fact you have only increased 2.2 times vs. the town's aggregate 2.4 times, so you'll more than likely see a reduction in taxes based on your assessment.
• You property was assessed at $250,000 and is now assessed at $600,000, a big increase to be sure. But it is only 2.4 times, putting you right in line with the town, thus you'll see little or no increase in your taxes based on your assessment.
• Your property was assessed at $135,000 and is now assessed at $365,000. You have an increase of about 2.7 times, this vs. the town's 2.4 times average increase means you'll likely see an increase in taxes, even before new budgets come out from the town and the school board.

Hopes this helps puts some minds at ease, if you need help with the calculations and what it means for you, Truth in Matawan can assist any who request it with their particular numbers, or contact Realty Appraisal Corp at (201) 867-3870.