The Jersey Journal, 6-Feb-15
By Terrence T. McDonald
Weehawken homeowners had the highest property taxes in Hudson County last year, according to figures released this week by the state.
The average 2014 tax bill in Weehawken was $12,250. That's $2,064 higher than the next highest, in Harrison, and $5,542 higher than the lowest bill, in West New York. Weehawken's average bill shot up $1,673 from 2013.
The figures were released by the state Department of Community Affairs. Statewide, the highest average property taxes last year were in Camden County's Tavistock, at $25,346, followed by Millburn, in Essex County, at $21,607.
Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner said the city's tony waterfront inflates the average tax bill. "It's skewed," Turner told The Jersey Journal. "If you get rid of the waterfront, we wouldn't be highest."
He added: "There are a lot of things you like to be first in. This isn't one of them."
After Weehawken and Harrison, the highest tax bills in Hudson County were in Kearny ($9,524), Bayonne ($9,394) and Guttenberg ($8,894).
Hoboken had the highest average residential property value by far, at $522,107. The next highest on the list is Weehawken ($261,074), Guttenberg ($251,245) and Secaucus ($169,814).
East Newark is bottom on that list, at $76,457, while Jersey City, which has the county's highest population, was next to last, at $91,459. Jersey City hasn't had a citywide revaluation since 1988.
