How Are PILOTs Impacting Bloomfield Schools? Town Wants Info From District

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — What sort of impact are real estate development projects having on Bloomfield’s schools, especially those involving payment in lieu of tax (PILOT) agreements? That’s what the town’s mayor wants to know, she announced Tuesday.

According to Mayor Jenny Mundell, she recently asked the town’s law department to send a letter to the superintendent of the Bloomfield Public School District, seeking updated enrollment information for the district.

The letter specifically requested enrollment numbers per school for nine PILOT-related addresses:

PILOT agreements, also known as municipal tax abatements, are deals that enable a developer to switch their standard tax payments for a property to a fixed, yearly payment to the municipality.

• See Related: Predicting PILOT Revenue Can Be Tricky, Bloomfield Official Says

“While to date, to my knowledge, we have never received a request from the Board of Education regarding the impact various development projects in town may have had on enrollment, as mayor, I am taking the initiative to ensure any future conversations around PILOTs and potential agreements are grounded in fact,” Mundell said.

“Further, I have requested that upon receipt of the data, the township’s financial advisors prepare a memo describing the financial impact of these PILOTs as they relate to any impact on the district, which I will share,” she added.

“Remember, the Board of Education sets its own budget, which gets fully funded, and which should be based on enrollment and district needs, not the notion that tax dollars are there for the taking,” Mundell said.

Mundell noted that her office held a public workshop on PILOT agreements in Bloomfield on April 23. Watch video footage of the presentation here, and view a slideshow from the workshop here.

Read the township’s full letter below:

“On behalf of the Township of Bloomfield, I am writing to respectfully request enrollment information from the Bloomfield School District. The Township is undertaking a review of redevelopment and related PILOT agreements, and in the interest of transparency, we believe it is important to understand actual enrollment trends within the District.

“We fully recognize and appreciate the vital role the District plays in serving the students and families of Bloomfield. Our intent is to ensure that ongoing community discussions about PILOTs and their potential impact on schools are grounded in accurate data. Having a clear record of enrollment patterns will allow both the Township and the District to engage with the public on a shared factual basis.

“Specifically, we are requesting the following information:

• Total Enrollment by School — The number of students enrolled in each school, by year, from 2018 to the present.
• Enrollment by School from PILOT Properties — The number of students enrolled in each school, by year, from 2018 to the present, residing at addresses connected to Township PILOT agreements (List of addresses are attached).

“This information will enable the Township to evaluate whether PILOT-related developments have had any measurable effect on enrollment, as well as provide accurate information to residents and stakeholders. We view this process as part of a collaborative effort to promote transparency and to strengthen the partnership between the Township and the School District.

“We would be pleased to meet and discuss this request further, should that be helpful. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or if additional clarification is needed.

“Thank you in advance for your cooperation and partnership.”

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