The Seaside Heights boardwalk, Oct. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)
A county-ordered reassessment of properties in Seaside Heights has begun, with home and business inspections having started Monday, officials said.
“We were ordered by the county, and it got approved by the state Division of Taxation,” said Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz in the fall, when the revaluation effort was first announced.
Inspectors will need to see the inside of properties, officials said.
“The inspectors work independently and will leave a tag for anyone not home with a how to contact them directly,” a statement from the borough said. “Please do not call Borough Hall staff. They will not be able to answer your questions or assist you with the reassessment. It is necessary that you contact the inspectors directly.”
Ocean County offers an FAQ on reassessments on its website. Seaside Heights Assessor Eric Zanetti can also be contacted at seasideheightsassessor@co.ocean.nj.us for any questions.
The difference between a revaluation and a reassessment, Vaz said, is that a reassessment is a cost-saving measure completed in-house by the tax assessor’s office, utilizing the office’s existing knowledge and resources, and a revaluation is completed by an outside firm that usually has a much higher cost.
The borough council, in September, appropriated $200,000 for the reassessment, which requires overtime and extra work on the part of employees. Each home, business and even empty parcel is assigned a value, which determines the assessment of property taxes for that property.
“The process is revenue neutral, meaning the purpose is not to raise property taxes but to redistribute the tax burden, ensuring that the property tax assessments are fair and equitable,” Vaz said.
The last reassessment occurred in 2013 and, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation records, the average property in town is assessed at only 61.17 percent of its fair market value. Since 2013, the borough has seen a redevelopment and building boom that has replaced a great deal of commercial motels with high-value homes, and reshaped portions of the oceanfront along the boardwalk.
A reassessment does not necessarily mean an increase in taxes for every homeowner. The borough is not planning on collecting more money from residents or business owners above and beyond the normal operating budget, and the tax rate will go down to compensate for the increase in the assessed values. Officials say, historically, about a third of properties see an increase in taxes, a third remain about the same, and a third see their property taxes decrease.
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