Former Dem Assemblyman takes Gopal to task for false and misleading campaign mail

By Michael J. Panter

Like Kevin Asadi and other residents, I recently received the letter from Senate candidate Vin Gopal which denounces the Assessment Demonstration Program (the “ADP”), implemented in 2013, as the source of high property taxes.

Since I have run in four state elections in Monmouth County, I have been in Mr. Gopal’s shoes.  Political operatives refer to the weeks before an election as the “silly season”, since candidates will say almost anything about their opponents to generate a headline.

However, there is a line which should never be crossed – candidates should not issue false or misleading information, since it not only subjects them to legal liability, but most importantly, it does a disservice to taxpayers. Read the rest of this entry »

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Support Grows For Controversial Property Tax Assessment Program As Shrewsbury Opts Back In

A bi-partisan effort to explain the controversial pilot program for assessing Monmouth County properties, the Assessment Demonstration Program, is generating support for the program as one of the eight municipalities that opted out of the program has reenlisted and other towns are choosing to stay with the program that is reducing the amount of property tax appeals filed.

The biggest problem the program has faced is confusion between the alleged improprieties and conflicts of interests in the implementation of the program exposed by an Asbury Park Press series which instigated an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the benefits and weaknesses of the program itself.

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Year in review: October 2015

Stacey Weathers. photo via facebook

Stacey Weathers, 46, of Tinton Falls, was killed on Saturday afternoon, October 3 when a tree fell onto her Mustang Convertible while she was driving southbound on Rt 34 in Colts Neck.  Weathers was the executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, where she helped raise $7 million to support patients and fund cancer research.

Matthew Kleinstein, 20, of Marlboro Township pleaded guilty to Cyber Harrassment and Endangering the Welfare of a Minor. Kleinstein admitted to “sexting” photos of his genitals via text message and SnapChat to four females, ages 11-13, while he was a camp counselor for the Marlboro Recreation Department during the summer of 2014.  Kleinstein was sentenced to PTI for a minimum of one year.  His criminal record will be expunged if he sucessfully complete’s the program.

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Year in review: September 2015

Freeholder John Curley

Freeholder John P. Curley released an anonymous letter that alleged improprieties in the County’s pilot Tax Assessment Demonstration Program.  Curley called for the suspension of the program and referred the letter to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Three weeks later, the Asbury Park Press published an expose into potential ethical conflicts that occurred in the implementation of the program.  In December, the Monmouth County Tax Board announced that municipalities could opt-out of the program for the 2017 tax year. APP has claimed credit, which arguably should go to Curley, for all actions taken regarding the ADP program since they published the expose.

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O’Scanlon and Tax Board Announce Assessment Reforms

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon and the members of the Monmouth County Tax Boards announced reforms to the controversial Assessment Demonstration Program yesterday. The changes are designed to address the volatility in property valuations that taxpayers have been experiencing during the early years of the pilot program’s implementation.

In addition to making appropriate adjustments to the program, O’Scanlon told MMM that he his hopeful that municipal officials will focus on the program itself, and not the controversy over the allegations of conflicts of interests among assessors, Tax Administrator Matthew Clark, and the vendors working the program, when deciding whether to continue their participation participation in 2017.  The Tax Board announced last month that towns can opt out of the program for 2017 by April 29, 2016.

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Monmouth Tax Board: Towns Can Opt Out of Assessment Demonstration Program

Tax Commissioners Cliff Moore, James Stuart and Kathy Cody Bjelka

The Monmouth County Tax Board acted on Monday to allow municipalities to opt out of the controversial pilot program, the Assessment Demonstration Program. The program has resulted in the volatility of property assessments and spurred a grand jury investigation into alleged conflicts of interest among key players in the County’s complex property tax system.

By an unanimous vote Monday afternoon, the Tax Board approved a resolution offered by Commissioner Clifford J. Moore III to immediately allow municipalities to opt out of the program for the 2017 tax year.  Towns must notify the board that they are opting out by 11:59 p.m. on April 29, 2016.

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Sen Jennifer Beck calls for Tax Administrator’s Suspension

Senator Jennifer Beck

Senator Jennifer Beck today called for Monmouth County Tax Board Administrator Matthew Clark to step down or being suspended, pending the outcome of a reported Monmouth County Prosecutor’s investigation to his relationships with vendors of the the controversial Assessment Demonstration Program that creates new assessments of Monmouth County properties for property tax purposes annually.

“In light of the fact the Prosecutor has an active and ongoing investigation into the Tax Administrator, steps must be taken to suspend him from his day-to-day duties until the Prosecutor’s investigation is complete,” Beck said in a statement issued to the media.  “At present, our taxpayers have lost confidence in the Administrator and until he is either vindicated or indicted, Matthew Clark should step aside.”

The Asbury Park Press reported last week that grand jury subpoenas were served on at least three county towns as well as the Monmouth County government in connection with a criminal investigation to the program.

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The Arnone Report: Hold Up On ADP, All Systems Go On Shark River

By Monmouth County Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone

Freeholder Tom Arone

I know there is much speculation recently on the integrity of the Assessment Demonstration Project and I want everyone to know that we hear you and we will support your inquiries. Earlier this year, I along with my fellow members of the Board of Chosen Freeholders asked Matt Clark, Monmouth County’s Tax Administrator, to hold a meeting for all the municipalities to explain the details of the Assessment Demonstration Project. It was our understanding that attendees left feeling more comfortable with what they heard and understood the benefits of the program. As a result of the close working relationships we have throughout the County, numerous Mayors have contacted the Freeholders with concerns over the uncertainty of this program and the recent negative media coverage surrounding it.  While we all did our best to alleviate those concerns, we also understand the difficult position it puts most of them in. After the events the past few weeks, without making judgements on the program, its administrator or county tax board members, we believe it may be best to put this program on hold until all questions are answered and the Mayors can explain the long term tax benefit to the residents of Monmouth County . It is our hope that the timeline of January 1 will remain intact while these issues are vetted, as it gives the municipalities the ability to budget for the following year’s tax appeals. It is our hope that you continue to stay informed and aware of the tax assessment program through your municipality or at the County level.

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Hornik Calls For Suspension Of Tax Assessment Program

Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik and Councilwoman Randi Marder at a campaign event last month. photo via facebook

Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik called for the immediate suspension of the controversial tax assessment program, Assessment Demonstration Pilot Program(ADP), in a press release issued Tuesday evening.

Responding to an “investigate report” in the Asbury Park Press that alleges cronyism, nepotism and ethics violations on the part of Monmouth County Tax Administrator Matt Clark, former Tax Commissioner Daniel Kelly and the companies that won the contracts to provide the inspections and appraisals of all Monmouth County properties that are assessed through ADP, Hornik said, “I am heartened by the recent call by the Asbury Park Press for an investigation of the Monmouth County Tax Assessment Demonstration Pilot Program,” said Mayor Hornik. “I have been a vocal critic of this program since its inception, and I expressed, in no uncertain terms, that the program did not fairly and accurately reflect market value, that it inappropriately interfered with local tax assessors and that it had a disproportionate adverse effect on residential and senior citizen property taxpayers.”

Hornik joins Freeholder John Curley in calling for ADP to be suspended and investigated.

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Tax Board Rejects Curley’s Call To Suspend Assessment Program

Prosecutor Mum On Whether He Will Investigate Anonymous Allegations

Freeholder John P. Curley

The Monmouth County Board of Taxation voted unanimously on Friday to reject Freeholder John Curley’s call that they suspend their new method of assessing values on properties in the county for property tax purposes.

Curley’s call to suspend the program came last week after he said received an anonymous letter from a group of realtors, appraisers, tax assessors and former tax assessors alleging that the program, “Tax Assessment Demonstration Program,” is not being implemented in accordance with the law that created it and implying that Matthew Clark, the Tax Board Administrator, has inappropriate dealings with the program vendors.

Curley referred the anonymous letter to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni, declaring in his own letter to the prosecutor that it is “omnipotent (sic) that all government business be conducted with full transparency, ethical and legal standards.”   Curley also wrote Tax Board President James Stuart to request the tax assessment program be suspended while Gramiccioni investigates.  He then released the anonymous letter and his letters to Gramiccioni and Stuart to the Asbury Park Press.

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