School Board Member, Middletown Mayor Argue Over Why Property Taxes Increased This Year

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — At the most recent Middletown Township Committee meeting held Monday, a disagreement broke out between Middletown Mayor Tony Perry and school board member Mark Soporowski over who caused this year's tax increase in Middletown: The school board, or the way Middletown calculates its property taxes.

Soporowski stood before the Township Committee and read from a prepared statement, where he criticized Middletown for being involved in the Real Time Property Tax Assessment Demonstration program, known as RDP or ADP for short.

ADP/RDP is a program where the property tax bill changes every year, because taxes follow the market value of homes, which constantly fluctuates. ADP/RDP is somewhat controversial: Critics say it can result in taxes being too high in certain years. But supporters of RDP says it results in homes paying their fair share of property taxes.

Soporowski said he wants Middletown to leave RDP. He pointed to other Monmouth County towns, such as Wall, Marlboro and Highlands, which have all opted out of RDP.

"They reached the same conclusion: This program was hurting taxpayers," said Soporowski. "Under the Assessment Demonstration Program, the town-wide average keeps getting driven higher every year because the system chases the market."

He wants Middletown to move to regular property tax assessments.

Soporowski also referenced a letter that was sent in July to all Middletown residents, tucked into their 2025 tax bill. That letter, sent by the Township, said there was a 10.1 percent increase to the school tax portion of the tax bill.

"(It) blamed the Board of Education alone for the increase. That presentation was misleading and unfair," said Soporowski. "This year, the burden of increase was shared among all three, including the Township and county ... To single out the Board of Education while leaving out the municipal and county portion did not give people an honest picture of why their taxes went up."

Soporowski then ended his statement, and Perry immediately responded on the attack.

"This governing body is not the one that passed a budget that increased taxes by 10.1 percent," said Perry. "So to say anything other than that — and to at least admit that as a member of the Board of Education, you not only advocated for, but voted for a 10.1 percent increase — is disingenuous."

"You cannot hide from that fact, and then sit there and say you want to protect senior citizens. You can't have it both ways."

Soporowski was part of a majority of the school board that voted in April to increase the school portion of the property tax bill up to 10.1 percent.

Perry also said the town had to field many phone calls this year from Middletown residents angry about why their property taxes increased so much.

"We waste thousands of dollars every single year when the Board of Education raises its rates by us taking the phone calls," said Perry.

It does not appear Middletown will be leaving the RDP tax program anytime soon.

"There is no predictable (housing) market. That's why they created the RDP program," said Perry. "To sit there and say I want to protect senior citizens and not say we voted for a 10.1 percent increase ... that's completely disingenuous sand talking out of both sides of your mouth."

Middletown School Board Votes To Raise Taxes Up To 10.1 Percent (April)

Here is the Dec. 1 Township Committee meeting; Soporowski starts talking at 32:57:

Learn more about ADP here: https://www.visitmonmouth.com/...