Proposed West Orange Municipal Tax Hike Now At 6%, Council Reports

WEST ORANGE, NJ — It’s a “more palatable” plan. That was the short version of the town’s latest budget hearing, as per West Orange Council President Tammy Williams.

After doing as much “chopping, slicing and dicing” as possible, what was once a 16 percent proposed municipal tax hike has been reduced to 6 percent, according to figures presented at Thursday’s public hearing.

Watch the full video here.

“I don’t want to take delight in the fact that we are at a 6 percent increase, but certainly I want to continue to remind our residents that we have been able to effectively reduce a proposed 16.2 percent municipal tax increase,” Williams said at the tail end of the four-hour meeting.

It’s a “much more palatable number,” she said, adding that there is still “continued work to do.”

Property taxes in New Jersey are generally made up of three parts: school, municipal and county. Read More: Average Property Tax Bill In West Orange Is Growing, Latest Data Shows

The town’s CFO, John Gross, previously proposed some ways to soften the tax impact of this year’s town budget. They included creating new municipal fees, using reserve funds and making staff or service cuts – all of which have their pros and cons. Read More: 3 Ways To Reduce A Looming Tax Hike In West Orange

Catch up with some of our other recent town budget coverage below (click headlines to read the article):

• Some West Orange Residents Are Fuming Over 16% Proposed Tax Hike
• Frustrations Over West Orange Budget Broil At Council Meeting
• Budget Debate Continues In West Orange: Why The Sudden Increase?

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