In Margate, current property tax assessments are 50%-60% of true market value. This creates inequitable tax burdens says County Exec Denny Levinson. See video.
By leveraging drone tech, accurate tax maps, up-to-date sales data and county resources, the County plan aims to modernize a lagging system and ensure tax fairness for all Atlantic County residents.
WATCH Atlantic County Tax Administrator Terry Prendergast propose annual reassessment plan:
A massive gap exists between assessed values and actual market prices— in part driven by inflation, cheap money, short-term rentals, loose zoning law, over-reliance on tax abatements, and lockdown-era migration.
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Under the County’s proposed model, property values would be adjusted incrementally each year rather than waiting for expensive, infrequent re-vals conducted by outside firms.
To maintain accuracy, towns would inspect approximately 25% of properties annually.
WPG Radio host: Homeowners have right to deny entry to tax assessors who come to evaluate their property for a revaluation. If assessor is denied entry, they’ll evaluate home based on exterior factors and comparable properties in the neighborhood that they were able to enter.
LISTEN: Radio Host vs Real Estate Re-val
Levinson: Margate’s outdated assessments result in artificially high county tax rates to compensate for the lower property values on record. For example, a $1 million municipally assessed home in Margate is taxed like a $2 million property on the county tax roll.
Atlantic County plans to support municipalities with GIS data and grant-funded aerial imagery, reducing the need for intrusive physical inspections. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are technology-driven frameworks for creating, managing, analyzing, and mapping data by connecting it to a specific location
Many taxpayers overpay while others pay far below their fair share. “We are required to have a fair and equitable distribution of the tax burden,” Prendergast told county commissioners.
What happens if a town doesn’t join the Atlantic County plan? The town will be compelled to spend for expensive Re-Val Services every 4 years.
Last time Downbeach towns did citywide revaluation?
| Margate | 2018 |
| Ventnor | 2017 |
| Longport | 2018 |
| Brigantine | 2016 |
| Somers Point | 2019 |
| Atlantic City | 2020 |
Municipalities often delay property revaluations because elected officials don’t want to be responsible for raising taxes.
The Atlantic County Board of Taxation maintains information on real estate assessments for Atlantic County and is responsible for the property tax assessment appeal process. This office maintains the property tax list books for all real property in Atlantic County. The tax list books contain information such as: property owner’s names, addresses, block and lot numbers and assessments. The annual county abstract of ratables is calculated by the county Board of Taxation and is used to calculate the appropriate tax rate to raise sufficient funds for each municipal, school district, county, public health, library and fire district budget.
