[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of Park Ridge 11-14-1995 by Ord. No. 95-15. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Administrative organization — See Ch. 2.
The office of Joint Municipal Tax Assessor is
hereby established and shall be maintained by and for the Boroughs
of Montvale, Park Ridge and Woodcliff Lake, all in the County of Bergen,
to assess real and personal property for taxation within each of said
municipalities, all as authorized under and by virtue of the provisions
of N.J.S.A. 40:48B-14 through N.J.S.A. 40:48B-21.
The governing bodies of the participating municipalities
shall, by agreement, provide for the appointment of a Joint Municipal
Tax Assessor and such other personnel as may be necessary for the
apportionment of the costs and expenses of the operation of such office
among said participating boroughs and for such other terms and conditions
as may be necessary and convenient for the establishment and maintenance
of the office.
The governing bodies of the participating municipalities
shall, by agreement, provide for the appointment of a Joint Municipal
Tax Assessor and other necessary personnel for the apportionment of
the costs and expenses of operation of such office among the participating
municipalities, for the addition of other municipalities in the same
county and such other terms and conditions as may be necessary and
convenient for the establishment and maintenance of the office. The
apportionment of costs and expenses may be based upon "apportionment
valuations" determined under N.J.S.A. 54:4-49, number of taxable properties,
population, budgets and such other factor or factors, or any combination
thereof, as may be provided in the agreement. The agreement shall
be subject to approval by resolution of the governing bodies of each
of the municipalities prior to its execution by such official or officials
as may be authorized to execute such agreement. A copy of every pertinent
ordinance, resolution, agreement and every amendment thereto shall
be filed with the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department
of the Treasury and the Director of the Division of Local Finance
in the Department of Community Affairs.
All employees in the office of the Joint Municipal
Tax Assessor shall be deemed to be the employees of the municipality
having the largest apportionment valuation determined under N.J.S.A.
54:4-49 on June 1, 1995.
Such office of Joint Municipal Tax Assessor
shall consist of a Tax Assessor and such subordinate personnel as
may, by the governing bodies of the participating municipalities,
be deemed necessary and proper to perform the assessment function
in each of said boroughs in accordance with law. Any person who may
hereafter be appointed to office as Joint Municipal Assessor for said
boroughs shall hold such office for an initial term of four years,
as shall be provided for by agreement of the governing bodies of the
participating municipalities, provided that any such person reappointed
as Joint Municipal Tax Assessor after serving four years in that capacity
shall thereafter hold his position during good behavior and efficiency
notwithstanding that such reappointment was for a fixed term of years,
and he shall not be removed therefrom for political reasons but only
for good cause shown and after a proper hearing before the Director
of the Division of Taxation of the State of New Jersey or his designee.
Any assessor of any municipality which has combined to form an office of joint municipal tax assessor hereunder and who, on the effective date of this chapter, held his office or position during good behavior and was not subject to removal therefrom except for good cause shown after hearing, shall be employed on the same basis as a member of the staff of the Joint Municipal Tax Assessor at a salary not less than he was receiving at the time the joint agreement is effective with respect to his municipality. Any assessor who is serving as an assessor for each of the participating municipalities on the effective date of this chapter and who is hereafter appointed as the initial Joint Municipal Tax Assessor pursuant to this chapter shall be deemed to have commenced the initial four-year term in office referred to in § 36-5 hereof on the date such person became first employed as an assessor by a participating municipality.
The assessment function of the Joint Municipal
Tax Assessor shall be exercised in the same manner and to the same
extent as though it was exercised in each municipality separately,
and the tax list and duplicate, property record cards and all other
records for each of the said boroughs shall be maintained separately
and shall be available for public inspection pursuant to law.
The joint agreement may be terminated upon the
adoption of a resolution to that effect by the governing bodies of
any of the three governing bodies of the aforesaid boroughs. Except
by unanimous agreement, such termination shall not be made effective
earlier than June 30 next succeeding the expiration of 12 full calendar
months.
This chapter shall only become effective upon
the adoption by the three participating municipalities of substantially
similar ordinances within six calendar months after the first such
ordinance is adopted.
