Open Space Tax Refund Provides Residents With $20 Cushion

Refunding some open space taxes to residents, the village said taxpayers will receive a slight return come November.

Village Manger Dr. Ken Gabbert said Wednesday that a typical homeowner in Ridgewood would receive an estimated $20 tax refund Nov. 1 due to a change in the Bergen County Open Space Tax collection. 

The county today announced a refund of $173,719.74 to Ridgewood and nearly $4.8 million countywide. In June, County Executive Dennis McNerney, with Freeholder approval, lowered the open space tax rate from 1 cent to one-fourth cents per $100 of assessed valuation. This rate reduction created an overpayment for the municipalities since they were previously billed their 2010 estimated open space tax based on the 2009 rate of one cent. These refunds will result in a lower open space tax rate for individual property owners.

"I am proud to present Bergen County municipalities with these checks," McNerney said. "These refunds are part of my commitment to keeping taxes lower in these tough economic times."  

As it's the village's responsibility to collect school, municipal and county taxes, Gabbert said a lowered tax rate will go out instead of a refund.

"While technically the funds are coming to the village we will adjust taxes due, most likely on the Nov. 1 tax date, and thereby complete the refund to the taxpayer," Gabbert said.

Ridgewood received the sixth most money back, with only Paramus ($231,310.82), Mahwah ($184,759.84), Hackensack ($173,437.81), Teaneck ($165,748.67), and Fort Lee ($164,323.77) receiving more.

Below is the entire list of refunds:

Allendale $49,016.95

Alpine $60,876.23

Bergenfield $89,552.28

Bogota $25,595.80

Carlstadt $61,980.19

Cliffside Park $92,423.36

Closter $63,658.38

Cresskill $72,378.76

Demarest $36,110.34

Dumont $61,880.45

Elmwood Park $67,560.43

East Rutherford $47,675.53

Edgewater $73,139.09

Emerson $36,426.51

Englewood $139,029.60

Englewood Cliffs $84,671.80

Fair Lawn $140,698.93

Fairview $42,515.96

Fort Lee $164,323.77

Franklin Lakes $125,758.74

Garfield $72,953.38

Glen Rock $68,932.59

Hackensack $173,437.81

Harrington Park $30,460.69

Hasbrouck Heights $49,094.71

Haworth $23,636.22

Hillsdale $52,020.51

Ho-Ho-Kus $34,379.55

Leonia $44,402.55

Little Ferry $35,149.45

Lodi $65,478.44

Lyndhurst $84,922.77

Mahwah $184,759.84

Maywood $36,576.80

Midland Park $33,775.66

Montvale $58,285.05

Moonachie $21,743.35

Mew Milford $56,960.00

North Arlington $46,432.83

Northvale $27,733.08

Norwood $41,422.94

Oakland $71,832.56

Old Tappan $50,747.83

Oradell $45,847.06

Palisades Park $65,780.23

Paramus $231,310.82

Park Ridge $51,012.45

Ramsey $95,486.86

Ridgefield $56,728.69

Ridgefield Park $42,043.31

Ridgewood $173,719.74

River Edge $50,029.35

Riverdale $57,121.92

Rochelle Park $29,474.64

Rockleigh $7,320.76

Rutherford $76,398.23

Saddle Brook $63,210.99

Saddle River $68,447.52

South Hackensack $19,087.56

Teaneck $165,748.67

Tenafly $110,239.09

Teterboro $11,613.86

Upper Saddle River $83,463.22

Waldwick $47,624.18

Wallington $32,221.21

Washington $51,041.22

Westwood $53,529.80

Woodcliff Lake $54,846.04

Wood-Ridge $35,313.80

Wyckoff $118,424.59

Total $4,797,497.52

Compiled by Sam Fran Scavuzzo