HILLSDALE, N.J.—Residents should by now have received a letter from Mayor Michael Sheinfield along with their estimated third-quarter tax bills — and the mayor says his phone has been ringing ever since.
Sheinfield said he received about 40 calls from residents concerned about a variety of issues, including local property taxes, more than $6 million being spent on Memorial Field, and ways the borough might cut costs. In response, he scheduled a town hall meeting for Tuesday, June 30, at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall.
Sheinfield urged residents to attend and take part in a conversation about their concerns.
“A lot of people were obviously upset by their tax bill, and some don’t understand why they went up as they did,” Sheinfield said.
The mayor’s letter included an explanation of Hillsdale’s property taxes, which have risen significantly lately due in large part to the costs of bonding for a voter-approved $62.4 million referendum to renovate and expand George G. White Middle School.
The average assessed homeowner locally pays $17,272.48 in taxes on a home assessed at $476,683, according to the mayor’s letter.
Sheinfield noted that in 2021, the then-council increased annual taxes about 5% to set aside funding for recreational improvements, including Memorial Field.
He listed the average 2026 tax increases as follows: Pascack Valley Regional High School, $245.29; Hillsdale School District, $909.75; Borough of Hillsdale, $200.83; and Bergen County, $66.91.
“As mayor, I am only able to speak to the additional $200.83 imposed by the governing body,” Sheinfield wrote. “The largest driving force behind the local increase was a dramatic 41% increase in the cost of the state health care plan. To offset this increase, we cut discretionary spending as much as possible while still being able to provide residents with the services they’ve come to expect. Fixed costs such as health care, labor contracts and cost-of-living adjustments present constant upward pressure on our taxes.”
The mayor said shared services with Washington Township and River Vale have brought in revenue and saved the borough money.
He also said increased revenues from The Piermont at Hillsdale, part of a downtown redevelopment area, and the formation of a new Economic Development Committee should help the borough find ways to improve the town and raise revenue.