Guest Post- Response to Anonymous 4-1-08

The following was emailed to me today,

From: Robert Dovey 
To: EdgewaterPark Reporter <edgewaterparkreporter@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 2, 2008 10:42:56 PM
Subject: Response to Anonymous 4-1-08

Dear Edgewater Park Reporter,

I read the comment left by "Anonymous" to the 3/28/08 story and would like to

correct several statements made in "Anonymous" statement posted April 1st.

I am the current Republican Municipal Chairman for Edgewater Park and my home

is currently assessed for $196,800 not $100,000 as stated by "Anonymous".

If "Anonymous" understood how properties are assessed in NJ, he would

understand with Edgewater Parks Assessment Ratio currently at 48.75% of true

market value, my properties estimated market value is $403,700.

The prior Republican Chairman's property mentioned, is currently assessed for $212,800,

not $100,000, making the current estimated market value of his home $436,000.

The formula for figuring Market Value is; Assessed Value divided by the Ratio (48.75%) equals Market Value.

I recently had an appraisal done and it valued my property at $390,000 in today's market. This is a far cry from a market value of over a half million dollars. Also the house was listed for sale two years ago, for $490,000 and the best offer at the time was $450,000 with conditions.

As to who did the Reval back in 1994 (the last revelation), I do not know. You can call the Tax Assessor's Office and ask them. Leo was the Tax Assessor at the time it was done.

If you, "Anonymous", recently purchased a new home, say in the last three to four

years, then your current assessment would be based on the purchase price times the

ratio at the time, and that would give you your assessment.

Now I would agree, if our governing body had done a better job with

budgeting, managing, and making tax abatement deals, all of our properties

would be worth more. I have watched the value of our township properties drop against

the value of homes in towns with similar homes of the same age and type.

This is a direct result of the market, reacting to the government management of our

town. Towns that are well run and managed saw their home property values increase at

a rate far better then the rate we saw here in Edgewater Park. If you tried to

sell your home during the past couple of years you know this be a fact.

I can only hope that the voters hold Jim Daly and Tom Pullion responsible for their decisions that resulted in the following ; 

• The large tax increases they approved and voted for, 
• The large increases in the municipal budgets they voted for, 
• The large increases in borrowing by the township (bonding) they approved and voted for, 
• The bad tax abatement deal they gave to the Coat Factory, 
• The loss of a 1/2 million dollar Green Acre Grant (thru negligence) that then required the Committee to pay for land acquired as part of the Affordable Housing Settlement,
• The mismanagement of inspections, of Silver Park Phase 2 & 3, that now are resulting in lawsuites against the township, 
• The botched N. Garden Blvd repaving project, 
• The mismanaged Cooper St improvement project that has taken 5 years to start, 
• The misuse of the Open Space Tax for items never intended by the voters, 
• The failure of any meaningful redevelopment along Rt.130, the wasting of tax dollars on consultants who took our money and produced nothing, 

and I can go on and on.

Mister Anonymous, perhaps you should do a better job getting your facts straight,

before making false statements and innuendos. Look to the people who are

directly responsible for the current condition of our township, and ask them

why they keep making the same mistakes over and over. They are going to do

another Redevelopment deal that will include 3oo plus multi-family homes,

and want us to believe it will reduce taxes. Our recent history with Silver

Park shows us this theory is bunk.

Respectfully,

Robert Dovey
 
No comment,

The Edgewater Park Reporter

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