Property tax revenue (Irvington, Union, Wayne: school district, income, living)

[tom1944]

I found this interesting-

All of these towns have around 55,000 residents. Here is the property tax revenue for each

Piscataway $155 million
Jackson $139 million
Wayne $264 million
Irvington $102 million (Abbott District schools paid by State)
Union $184 million
Parsippany $191 million
Howell $143 million

Similar sized towns with a wide range of revenue

[bradykp]

You could add West Orange to that list. I would really love some way to compare what each town offers for those amounts also.

Is that total revenue, or just the municipal portion?

[tom1944]

Total

[exhdo1]

[quote=tom1944;40813279]I found this interesting-

All of these towns have around 55,000 residents. Here is the property tax revenue for each

Piscataway $155 million
Jackson $139 million
Wayne $264 million
Irvington $102 million (Abbott District schools paid by State)
Union $184 million
Parsippany $191 million
Howell $143 million

Similar sized towns with a wide range of revenue

Could the difference be due to the amount of taxes collected from commercial properties?

[tom1944]

Sure but why spend it and just not tax people more? What are they spending the extra on that one town does not?

[vfrex]

Originally Posted by tom1944

Sure but why spend it and just not tax people more? What are they spending the extra on that one town does not?

This is going to come out snarkier than intended, but why are you asking us when it is your thread? Town budgets are public.

[tom1944]

My town is on the low end. What does Wayne get for their taxes that Howell does not?

[vfrex]

Wayne's average income is 12% higher than Howell's. Wayne is commutable to NYC and Howell is not, so Wayne absorbs wage and price inflation from NYC. Wayne's population density is 3x Howell's. Wayne's school district ranks significantly above Howell's. That all results in higher property values, which drive a higher cost of living, which drives higher municipal wages.

[tom1944]

There are thousands of people that commute from Howell to NYC.

I think it is more than a 12% difference in the amount of taxes. There appears to be some service that Wayne taxpayers are willing to pay for.

[vfrex]

Originally Posted by tom1944

There are thousands of people that commute from Howell to NYC.

I think it is more than a 12% difference in the amount of taxes. There appears to be some service that Wayne taxpayers are willing to pay for.

Wayne is 1/3 the distance from Manhattan. Howell is a half hour drive from the nearest train station; Wayne is a half hour drive from Manhattan. There is no comparison. I congratulate you on missing the point, but let's try again. If property values are higher in Wayne, how are the municipal workers supposed to live in the town without higher pay?