Details about this story

• Source: Bergen Record
• Date: December 17, 2006
• URL: Read the story
• Bylines: John P. McAlpin , Dave Sheingold
• Topics: Tax , Real Estate
• Data Types: State Data
• Description/Excerpt: North Jersey homeowners paid more than ever -- on average 7.3 percent over last year -- in property taxes while lawmakers stumbled on their promise to cut the bills. The total tax bill to finance local government -- public schools, police, fire, road crews and other costs -- is now $4 billion, according to The Record's analysis of this year's tax records for 94 North Jersey towns. Over the past decade that figure has grown by 62 percent, or $1.6 billion. The median property tax bill for North Jersey homeowners is now $7,169, the analysis shows. That's up $488, an increase of 7.3 percent from the 2005 median.