Assessing Bloomfield's Neighborhoods

At Monday's Council meeting Tax Assessor Joe Pisauro presented an update on his 2012 Compliance Plan for property taxes. He explained that he breaks Bloomfield into has 150 neighborhoods that must be reviewed each year.

I asked Mr. Pisauro if he could provide a copy of his map and he forwarded the copy below. It would make an interesting parlor game -- and jigsaw puzzle -- just to figure out which segment you live in. (click on map to enlarge) Pisauro explained to me that his "neighborhoods" are not defined in terms of streets or traditional communities, but of assessed land values and similar types of housing. Not all towns use this systems, but it facilitates fine tuning annual tax updates. To get you started, green depicts parks, light green is for golf courses....

He can change up to 50 percent of the township’s property evaluations annually, based on current market conditions. These changes are then brought before the County Board of Taxation for approval.