CTA EXAM - MARCH 24TH REVIEW.docx

FOUR TYPES OF LOCAL GOV'T UNITS - AKA CREATURES OF THE STATE - correct answer County, Municipality, School District, Special District SIX CLASSIFICATIONS OF COUNTIES - correct answer First - population over 550k and density of more than 3000 persons per sq/mi - ANY PART OF STATE (Essex, Bergen, Hudson) Second - 200k pop - NOT BORDERING ATLANTIC (Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Union) Third - 50k-200k pop - NOT BORDERING ATLANTIC (Cumberland, Hunterdon, Salem, Sussex, Warren) Fourth - 50k pop - NOT BORDERING ATLANTIC (None) Fifth - 125k pop - BORDERING ATLANTIC (Atlantic, Monmouth, Ocean) Sixth - 125k or pop - BORDERING ATLANTIC (Cape May) APPORTIONMENT OF COUNTY COST - correct answer Based on the equalized value of real property and certain locally assessed personal property in each municipality. CLASSIFICATION OF MUNICIPALITIES - correct answer 1) Type of municipality 2) Form of Government FIVE TYPES OF MUNICIPALITIES - correct answer Borough Township Village Town City METHOD OF ASSESSOR SELECTION Commission Form of of Local Govt - correct answer Assessor(s) appointed by the commission at org meeting by director of dept at subsequent date METHOD OF ASSESSOR SELECTION Municipal Manager Form - correct answer Assessor or Assessor with Deputy Assessor appointed by council METHOD OF ASSESSOR SELECTION Council-Manager Form - correct answer Assessor or assessor with Deputy assessors appointed by the mayor with advice and consent of council, or by department head who has been appointed by the mayor. METHOD OF ASSESSOR SELECTION Mayor-Council Administration Form - correct answer Assessor and Deputy appointed by the mayor with advice and consent of council or by department head who has been appointed by mayor. METHOD OF ASSESSOR SELECTION Small Municipalities Form - correct answer Assessor or Assessor and Deputy appointed by mayor with advice and consent of council. METHOD OF ASSESSOR SELECTION City-Mayor Council Form - correct answer A wide variety of statutory provisions for appointed assessors. METHOD OF ASSESSOR SELECTION Borough Form - correct answer Appointed by mayor with advice and consent of council. METHOD OF ASSESSOR SELECTION Township Form - correct answer Appointed by the governing body. METHOD OF ASSESSOR SELECTION Village Form - correct answer Appointed by the governing body. COMMISSION FORM OF LOCAL GOVT - AKA WALSH ACT - correct answer An elected governing body of three or five members (determined by population class) with both legislative and administrative authority. MUNICIPAL MANAGER FORM OF LOCAL GOVT - 1923 LAW - correct answer An elected body of 5, 7, or 9 members which appoints it's Mayor and other officers. It appoints a municipal manager who is given authority to administer the local unit. COUNCIL-MANAGER FORM OF LOCAL GOVT- 1950 LAW - correct answer An elected policy-making council of five, seven, or nine members (at discretion of voters) which appoints it's Mayor, A municipal clerk, and municipal manager who has authority and responsibility for overall municipal administration. MAYOR-COUNCIL ADMINISTRATOR FORM OF LOCAL GOVT - correct answer An elected policy-making body of five, seven, or nine members (voters option) and a separately elected mayor. SMALL MUNICIPALITIES FORM OF LOCAL GOVT - correct answer An elected policy-making body of three, five, or seven members including a mayor elected by the voters, or the council who has authority for overall administration of the unit. This form of government is limited to units with less than 12,000 persons. CITY-MAYOR COUNCIL FORM OF LOCAL GOVT - correct answer Includes referendum charter forms authorized between 1897 and 1908 and special charters approved by the legislature. It's constituency varies in size. TOWN FORM OF LOCAL GOVT - correct answer Similar to the borough form with a separately elected mayor and council sized accordingly to number of wards. BOROUGH FORM OF LOCAL GOV'T - correct answer An elected council usually six members with both administrative and policy making powers and an elected mayor with limited authority for administration. TOWNSHIP FORM OF LOCAL GOVT - correct answer An elected governing body usually of three, or five members with both legislative and administrative authority. VILLAGE FORM OF LOCAL GOVT - correct answer And elected body of five trustees with both legislative and administrative authority. REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS - correct answer State law provides for districts covering two or more municipalities and for regional districts. TYPE I CITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS - correct answer Members of the board of bed are appointed by the mayor or other CEO of the municipality. The school budget is prepared by the board of Ed and approved by the board of school estimate which consists of the mayor or CEO, two members of the board of ed, and two members of the municipal governing body. TYPE II (NON-CITY) SCHOOL DISTRICTS - correct answer Members of the board of Ed are elected and the school budget is submitted to the voters for approval. In consolidated and regional school district, both all purpose and limited purpose, membership on the board of Ed is apportioned among the participating districts according to population. Board members are elected and the school budget must be approved by the voters. CHARTER SCHOOL - correct answer A public school operated under a charter granted by the commissioner, which is operated independently of a local board of Ed and is managed by a board of trustees. The board of trustees, upon receiving a charter from the commissioner, is deemed to be a public agent authorized by the state board of ed to supervise and control the charter school. EQUALIZED VALUATION - correct answer The equalized valuation of a taxing district or districts, as certified by the director of the division of taxation on October 1, or subsequently revised by the Tax Court by January 15, of the pre-budget year. CREATURES OF THE STATE - correct answer County, municipality, school districts and special districts that have been created by the State Legislature and granted legal powers by state law SOURCES OF LOCAL REVENUE IN NJ - correct answer Property tax has remained the mainstay of local finance in New Jersey. Property tax revenue supports local government services for New Jersey residents, such as the public school system, municipal police and fire, emergency services, trash and snow removal, libraries, Senior services, and other local services. Some local governments also impose limited user fees for specific services. NJ PROPERTY TAX PROCEDURE 1 - correct answer On or before January 10 of the tax year, each assessor files with the CBT the tax list (real property, personal property, and exempt property), and the tax list duplicate showing the assessed value of each property in the taxing district. Value is determined as of October 1 of the preceding year for real property and January 1 of the preceding year for certain locally assessed personal property. NJ PROPERTY TAX PROCEDURE 2 - correct answer Early in the calendar year, the municipal and county governing bodies and the local BOE's make up their respective budgets. Anticipated revenue from various sources is deducted from the budget amounts required. The amount remaining to be raised by a levy on real and personal property is reported to the county board of taxation. NJ PROPERTY TAX PROCEDURE 3 - correct answer Each CTB apportions the amount to be raised by property taxes to support county government among the taxing districts in the county, adds to the respective county portion the amounts needed from property taxes to finance the municipal government and the school district, and divides the total Levy by the assessed value of all taxable property to establish the local tax rate. NJ PROPERTY TAX PROCEDURE 4 - correct answer The tax rates are reported to the municipality which collects the property tax for the county, the school district and itself. NJ PROPERTY TAX PROCEDURE 5 - correct answer If there are special district costs, the special district governing body reports the amount needed to the assessor, who calculates the tax rate for this purpose by dividing the amount to be raised by the total value of total taxable property in the special district. This rate is added to the regular general tax rate for the municipality to determine the taxes on properties in the special district. NJ PROPERTY TAX PROCEDURE 6 - correct answer The appropriate tax rate is multiplied by the assessment on each property to determine the taxes due for the current year.