Report: Record Number of Tax Appeals Filed This Year

A total of 195 tax assessment appeals were filed this year by Lawrence Township property owners by the April 2 deadline, a record number for the township, according to a story published today by The Lawrence Ledger, which noted that the previous record was 186 appeals filed in 2010.

According to The Lawrence Ledger story, the total taxable value of the properties whose tax assessments are being appealed this year is over $187 million.

Successful tax appeals by both commercial and residential property owners have been cited by municipal and school officials as the key reason that tax rates are increasing this year, as the township and school district both struggle to offset the loss of revenue from the declining tax base.

Taxable values in Lawrence Township have decreased more than $160 million in the last three years due to tax appeals.