Above: Liza Minelli and Joel Grey in Cabaret.
From the APP.com: “So let’s look to Morristown, where average home value most closely mirrors that of the state. Homeowners making the town’s median household income spent about 9.1 percent of their annual pay to cover their $9,411 tax bill last year, according to the analysis.
From Kim Guadagno (R), candidate for NJ Governor “Here’s my pledge to the people of NJ: If we don’t lower property taxes during my first term as governor, then I won’t stand for re-election.”
APP.com: Is this gobbledygook? “Even if you made New Jersey’s median household income of $72,093, the average residential property tax bill for 2016 would have cost you nearly 12 percent of your income. For actual homeowners, the percent of income going toward property taxes hovers around 8.5 percent.”
Blogfinger: Ocean Grove taxes are too damn high. Why does a $625,000 house with 4 bedrooms and 1,900 ft2 in a fine Bradley Beach neighborhood pay $8,000 in taxes? We would pay at least $10,000 and don’t even own the land.
From Brian: Blogfinger, To be more exact, the taxes on a property valued at $625,000 in the Grove would have a tax obligation of $13,400 per annum.
If you would really like to open up a serious discussion on what’s occurring in the Grove I would be happy to offer what I know. Its not a pretty picture.
(Editor: We have encouraged Brian to do so, but he needs to tell us his real full name for such a serious conversation.)
2020 Editor’s note: The comments which go with this 2017 post will make you proud to live in Ocean Grove.
Joe,
The trash issue may sound minor to someone who lives here year-round. But if I have company for a holiday weekend and I have a lot of garbage I have to leave it out in front of my cottage for a few days where animals might get at it, and my recycle can sit out in front advertising that obviously the house is vacant.
By the way does Blogfinger have an idea as to what the percentage is for weekend owners to full time residents?
Editor’s note: Pbenjay—–I don’t know, but how does that question interest you? What’s on your mind? The demographics of those who live here keep evolving—I think the homeowner/renter weekenders, in general, add a classy element to town; it would be great if some of them would take more of an interest in what’s going on here.
The reason we pay such high property taxes is because of the mischievous actions of a miserable little elf named Bernie Haney!
Editor’s note: Blogfinger (i.e. me) went to the Mother Ship to interview Bernie a couple of years ago, and he hid in his office and wouldn’t come out. He was evidently afraid of the powerful local press.
Maybe we need a special counsel over there in Neptune to find out where the zoning and tax bodies are buried.
@Joe – It’s not personal. It’s not “us versus them.” Although some of your facts are appreciated, you sound like you’re trying to stick it to Grovers for something not in their control—- the geography of the town.
Also, I have sat on my porch every night for the past 2 months, and have not seen ONE police car go by. There are definitely NOT 2 police in the Grove 24/7/365 as you say. That is a fallacy. And it has been confirmed with many neighbors.
OG gets garbage pick-up twice a week and recycling once a week…the rest of the town gets garbage once a week and recycling every other week. So yes, holidays fall on a Monday, but you still have another day of regularly scheduled pickup.
Main Ave gets street sweeping twice a week in the summer. The rest of the town gets it twice a year.
Ocean Grove has 2 cops assigned to it every day, 24/7/365, plus additional part time officers in the summer, on the boards, around the tents and for events. The rest of the town has 5 officers at minimum assigned. There are 2 officers assigned to cover the whole town west of Rt 18.
There are also 4 fire companies,a full time fire inspector, and 1 EMS squad, with 8 vehicles for 0.4 sq miles
The rest of Neptune is served by 4 fire companies, 1 full time and 1 part time fire inspector, 1 engine staffed with 4 firefighters M-F and 3 EMS squads
The town also provides 2 staffed ambulances for the entire town Monday to Saturday, a volunteer Hazmat and Emergency Management team, water rescue and special rescue for the whole town
OG gets a higher level of service and a high density of emergency response than any other part of the town.
I would like to add to my previous comment; Property taxes are primarily based property (should be size and features not sale prices) however services should be factored in and in OG clearly they’re not. We are Neptune’s cash cow and the rendered services are not a reciprocal value. No school system, no full time police dept., thankfully a wonderful volunteer fire dept., trash pick-up 2x a week BUT one of the days is Monday and many holidays fall on a Monday and let’s not forget that many of us tax payers leave on Sunday night forcing us to leave trash out in front for days. If we can’ t secede then we need to get more residents on the council and get rid of the revolving group who take turns being mayor.
I support secession
Ocean Grove alone will never succeed in seceding. Voters in Neptune as a whole must also agree to secession. Do you think they want to lose this cash cow?
However, consider an oddly shaped town of OG and Seaview Island (they want to leave Neptune and join Avon) and Shark River Hills: Ocean Island Hills (we can drop the “grove” since there are so few trees here anyway). If we all secede, we may succeed.
Taxes should not be based on property values . It is an unjust concept . Taxes should be based on services received . All residents not just property owners should pay taxes . I have no kids attending school yet nearly 60% of my taxes go to school system . That is not fair . Etc. Etc. I think many would consider this a “radical” idea however I think it fair .
Prosper, please pay no attention to the negativity.
Neptune is dismantling the Historic Preservation Commission, killing our lakes, and destroying the historic element of our town.
The only way to preserve this Town is to secede from Neptune. I think we can.
We have all the reasons to do just that.
The first step in the process is to form an informal group.
On one occasion in the past, OG was not allowed to secede when a referendum, dominated by Neptune voters, overwhelmed the OG vote and would not allow us to do so (as Frank S says.)
This subject has come up on other occasions in OG history including that one year in 1925 when we were the Borough of Ocean Grove. The “blue laws,” demanded by the CMA, cost us our freedom back then.
OG was originally assigned to Neptune in the 19th century when Neptune was carved out of Ocean Twp. That was a strange decision made by the NJ legislature which had the power to grant charters (such as the original one for the church group—-the CMA), and they allowed other break-away towns to secede and be on their own, such as Bradley Beach. So we were left being part of Neptune, while being governed by the CMA, and also paying taxes to Neptune, while the CMA paid for services with our ground rents.
Throughout OG’s history there have been arguments and court cases over this. There have always been secular activists in town trying to get some justice, but usually failing.
I believe we were denied then also because the CMA wanted to maintain their peculiar form of governance including blue laws, and they were politically connected, and there is no good constitutional reason why we couldn’t have broken away.
Hopefully one of our historians will comment on my “timeline and facts,” regarding these historical matters.
This subject needs to be revisited (just as the ground rent issue is currently being questioned in court) but who will pay for that? The best bet is to launch a town-wide petition and send it to our representatives in Trenton. If the dopey Home Groaners won’t help, follow Norm’s suggestion to form a new activist group in town. Some leaders need to step up (as the late Herb Herbst did in his day to save Ocean Grove.)
Eric Houghtaling (D), one of our Assemblymen, is a Neptuner, but he is a reasonable guy. Maybe a legislative inquiry could be done for we the people who are getting the shaft (in a metaphorical way, by the way.)
But one caveat: I have heard speculation in the past that a separate Ocean Grove might see even higher taxes if we had to provide all services that Neptune now does.
I totally agree with Prosper . We should succeed from Neptune . After all OG used to be independent from Neptune way back . However I doubt that it would or could ever happen as I’m sure Neptune would not allow it .
With a very low school age population the Grove is disproportionately supporting a school system it does not use or need.
Why are we still part of Neptune Township?
We can contract to send our children to school anywhere.
What’s involved in succession?
Property taxes in Ocean Grove are incredible. Mine are close to $11,000 (16% of my annual pay) for my home, while my friends in Shark River Hills and other parts of Neptune pay significantly less. Neptune keeps spending…the School District keeps spending…the state keeps spending and the Federal government keeps spending. We, the taxpayers, are the source of income for all of them. It’s about time they started sharpening their pencils.
The property taxes certainly are “too damn high”. I am paying the same taxes as that 4 BR 1900 sq’ home in Bradley Beach and I have a cottage about 880 sq ‘ 2 BR and 1 BT. I am seriously considering selling, I don’t want to, but the taxes are quite burdensome.