The JACKSON Times Vol. 21 - No. 25
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Holiday Tradition Returns With Two Christmas Events
In This Week’s Edition
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Government Pages 7
Photos By Bob Vosseller Senior Center Director Kate Slisky joins her granddaughter Olivia aka Elsa from Frozen, and Santa Claus during Toyland.
Community News Pages 8-10
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 12
Classifieds Page 19
Costumed students and volunteers get a briefing moments before the opening of the first day of this year’s Toyland event held at the township senior center.
By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – Children and adults alike enjoyed a weekend of holiday magic recently with the annual two-day Toyland experience at the township senior center and the community’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting held in front of Town Hall. Toyland kicked off on a Saturday morning and continued on to Sunday. For more than 20 years children and adults have enjoyed their journey through (Christmas - See Page 4)
December 21, 2024
Tax Assessor Explains Revaluation
By Bob Vosseller JACKSON – The Township has completed its revaluation and residents had the opportunity to question the municipal Tax Assessor about what that means for their tax bills. Tax Assessor Peter Maher attended a recent Township Council meeting at the request of the council. He explained how the revaluation process works and how property values were determined. “What a revaluation does is bring all properties to 100% market value. In Jackson the ratio is at 54% of true value today.” A town is ordered to perform a revaluation if the average assessed values of all the properties in town are less than 85% where they should be. The assessed value is
what they base your taxes on. Council President Jennifer Kuhn asked how this will impact homeowners’ taxes. Maher said, “that would be a case-bycase basis.” He gave a case scenario, “42% of commercial property has increased in tax levy, 13% remain the same and 45% saw a decrease in the tax levy.” He added, “Residential had 34% see an increase, 19% remain the same and 47% of residential property saw a decrease in the tax levy.” “In this instance I feel the revaluation did its job,” Maher said. “On average the residential assessments went up 92%” “That is interesting,” the Council President responded. She then (Tax - See Page 4)
Proposed MUA Rate Increase Causes Stir Unidentified Drones Draw By Bob Vosseller The township’s prior customers based on might be some federal PLUMSTED – ResiPMUA board of com- their use rather than the grants available that Concern Across Tri State Area dents remain concerned might serve to supple- missioners resigned current flat fee because By Bob Vosseller JERSEY SHORE – Amid many reports of car-sized drones flying at night across areas of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York and lukewarm responses from federal and state authorities, people are still asking who put them in the air and why? Speculation by the public has ranged from the drones being a
new military technology being tested by the gover nment for surveillance purposes to others feeling the devices are being operated by a foreign power for more sinister purposes. Mayors from throughout the state were called to the New Jersey Regional Operations & Intelligence Center recently. They were told (Drones - See Page 7)
and upset over a proposed 128% rate increase by the township Municipal Utilities Authority (PMUA). PM UA customers have circulated a petition that is asking the utilities authority to hold off on the rate increases, hoping they
ment costs of operation. The PMUA is collecting about half of what it requires to cover the $1.9 million annual operating cost for its wastewater operation. Veolia North America, which both administered and operated the system, is owed $1.4 million.
en masse several years ago. They were replaced by a new board and Brian Brach was hired as the interim executive director of the MUA in hopes that he might be able to stabilize the operation. Customers are calling on the PMUA to charge
they believe it would be a fairer way to cover the cost. Brach provided a list to The Jackson Times featuring various reasons why this idea wouldn’t work. The primary reason being that fixed rates provide
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(MUA - See Page 5)