Details about this story

• Source: Newark Star-Ledger
• Date: January 15, 2006
• URL: Read the story
• Bylines: Joe Donohue , Rob Gebeloff , Tom Hester
• Topics: Tax , Real Estate
• Data Types: State Data
• Description/Excerpt: Four years ago this week, James E. McGreevey stormed into the governor's office after campaigning on a bread-and-butter issue that tickled weary homeowners: cutting property taxes. Today, the average tax bill in New Jersey is 29 percent higher, according to a new Star-Ledger analysis that also puts last year's increase at 6.3 percent. That means the average tax bill during McGreevey's four-year term, the last 14 months of which was finished by Richard Codey, climbed $1,309 to $5,867. The Star-Ledger analysis found property taxes rose an average of $350 last year as taxpayer rebates to nonseniors were sliced by at least $400 because of the state budget woes. The inexorable climb in property taxes prompted angry homeowners to tell candidates this was their top priority during last year's gubernatorial campaign.