JANUARY 5, 2016 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016, 1:21 AM
BY MATTHEW MCGRATH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Local officials reacted cautiously to a proposal to charge hospitals a “community service” fee intended to offset, in part, property tax revenue that municipalities lose out on because of the non-profit status of most medical centers.
The proposed bill, which has cleared the state Senate but has not been posted for a vote in the General Assembly, would require hospitals to pay the towns in which they are built $2.50 per bed each day. If the bill becomes law, the fees would infuse about $2.7 million a year into six North Jersey communities that host the medical centers.
Not-for-profits are exempt from paying property taxes for certain uses. The proposal has been endorsed by the New Jersey Hospital Association, which hopes the payments will head off potential lawsuits from towns, but it is opposed by the League of Municipalities, whose members generally think they deserve more from the hospitals than the proposed law would allow.
Our do nothing Council still hasn’t filed a suit challenging Valley’s “not-for-profit” status despite the Morristown precedent that was gift wrapped to them. Not one of them has even mentioned it publicly despite the potential $4 million in property taxes a ruling in the Village’s favor could bring. That’s 10% of our current annual Village budget, yet…. Silence.
How about houses of worship?
451 beds * 365 days * 2.50 = $411,537.50
Doesn’t seem like a lot given the value and size of the property. I can understand why some want the per bed number raised
Is the building by the Duck Pond taxed? If so, It would be good to know what the assessment is. If not, the above total looks even smaller
So long as Gwenn Hauck is on the council, this will remain unresolved.
11:08 the duck pond is county property.
1200 East Ridgewood Ave.
assessed value $23,000,000
annual taxes $559,590.00
sold 11/15/13 for $28,000,000
3:48: The Duck Pond itself is county property, but 1200 East Ridgewood Avenue across the street can’t be
3:48 – the building across from the duck pond.
1:47, this is a democracy. Gwen is just one vote and Albert is recused. That leaves Paul, Susan and Sedon, a majority of three. Yet from them, silence… They’ve all lost my vote. How can you just ignore $4 million in potential annual property tax revenues based on the Morristown precedent? That’s 10% of the Village’s annual budget yet they haven’t made any public comments? They should be standing up for all taxpayers, not just ptheir own narrow interests.
Saying nothing on a matter of this magnitude is not fair to the residents who elected these folks. What is even more puzzling is that the subject has not been brought up at any meeting by a resident.
It’s been brought up countless times in e-mails and online forums like this one. We all know Council members read this blog, but if they need a resident to bring it up formally in a Village meeting, that’s not a problem. If I was running in the Village Council elections this May, I’d make this my second priority after repealing ordinance 3066 which allows for applications to amend the Master Plan. This “do nothing” Council doesn’t stand up for all taxpayers, All five of them only focus on their own narrow interests and complain about procedural garbage. Time to clean house…