Bill Text: NJ S3345 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "Property Tax Assessment Study Commission."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-01-17 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee [S3345 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S3345-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH P. CRYAN
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Property Tax Assessment Study Commission."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a study commission to examine real property assessment practices in this State.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. There is established the "Property Tax Assessment Study Commission." The purpose of the commission shall be to examine the State's current real property assessment practices, including assessment practices in Gloucester County under the "Property Tax Assessment Reform Act," P.L.2009, c.118 (C.54:1-86 et seq.) and in Monmouth County under the "Real Property Assessment Demonstration Program," P.L.2013, c.15 (C.54:1-101 et seq.), and to develop recommendations for improvements to the process and the practice of real property assessment in the State.
The commission shall study, analyze, and consider all issues related to real property assessment in the State, including but not limited to, the following:
a. the role of the county in the real property assessment process;
b. the use of technology in the assessment of real property and in the assessment appeal process, with the goal of developing Statewide standards and practices for the use of technology to set and maintain real property assessments;
c. the means by which to improve the accuracy and reliability of real property assessments and the assessment appeal process, including whether to statutorily require that all real property assessments be maintained at no less than 100 percent of assessed to true value in every year; and
d. the pros and cons of the assessment practices in Gloucester and Monmouth counties, including an analysis of the efficacy of the real property assessment calendar currently in use in Gloucester and Monmouth counties, and whether that calendar should be implemented Statewide.
2. a. The commission shall consist of nine members, as follows:
(1) the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury, or the director's designee;
(2) four members appointed by the Governor, including a representative of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities; a representative of the New Jersey Association of Counties; a representative of the Gloucester County Board of Taxation; and a representative of the Monmouth County Board of Taxation;
(3) two public members appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall have experience in the assessment of residential real property, either as a municipal assessor or as an employee of a revaluation company operating in the State; and
(4) two public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one of whom shall have experience in the assessment of commercial real property, either as a municipal assessor or as an employee of a revaluation company operating in the State.
b. Appointments to the commission shall be made no later than the 30th day after the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.
c. The commission shall organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the appointment of its members. The commission shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.
d. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties within the limits of funds made available to the commission for its purposes.
e. The Department of the Treasury shall provide such professional staff and related support services as the commission requires to carry out its work. The commission shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.
3. The commission shall issue a report of its findings and recommendations concerning the State's real property assessment practices to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than 12 months after the commission organizes.
4. This act shall take effect immediately, and the commission shall expire 30 days after the submission of its report.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish the "Property Tax Assessment Study Commission" to examine the State's current real property assessment practices, including assessment practices in Gloucester County under the "Property Tax Assessment Reform Act," P.L.2009, c.118 (C.54:1-86 et seq.) and in Monmouth County under the "Real Property Assessment Demonstration Program," P.L.2013, c.15 (C.54:1-101 et seq.), and to develop recommendations for improvements to the process and the practice of real property assessment in the State. The commission is to study, analyze, and consider all issues related to real property assessment in the State, including but not limited to, the following:
the role of the county in the real property assessment process;
the use of technology in the assessment of real property and in the assessment appeal process, with the goal of developing Statewide standards and practices for the use of technology to set and maintain real property assessments;
the means by which to improve the accuracy and reliability of real property assessments and the assessment appeal process, including whether to statutorily require that all real property assessments be maintained at no less than 100 percent of assessed to true value in every year; and
the pros and cons of the assessment practices in Gloucester and Monmouth counties, including an analysis of the efficacy of the real property assessment calendar currently in use in Gloucester and Monmouth counties, and whether that calendar should be implemented Statewide.
The commission would include the following nine members: the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury, or the director's designee; four members appointed by the Governor, including a representative of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, a representative of the New Jersey Association of Counties, a representative of the Gloucester County Board of Taxation, and a representative of the Monmouth County Board of Taxation; two public members appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall have experience in the assessment of residential real property, either as a municipal assessor or as an employee of a revaluation company operating in the State; and two public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one of whom shall have experience in the assessment of commercial real property, either as a municipal assessor or as an employee of a revaluation company operating in the State.
The bill directs the commission to issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than 12 months after the commission organizes.
