Hightstown Borough property owners should check their mailbox for their 2019-2020 property tax bill, which was delayed pending certification of the tax rate by Mercer County.
The third-quarter property tax payment was due Aug. 1, but because of the late mailing, Hightstown Borough officials are extending the due date to Sept. 9 without penalty. If the bill is paid after Sept. 9, interest will accrue back to Aug. 1.
This year, Hightstown Borough property owners will see a 13-cent increase in the total property tax rate. The total tax rate for 2019-2020 is $4.29 per $100 of assessed value, as compared to the 2018-2019 tax rate of $4.16 per $100 of assessed value.
For a home assessed at the Hightstown Borough average of $213,073, the 2019-2020 total tax bill will be $9,140. The total tax bill on a home assessed at the 2018 average of $212,622 was $8,855. This translates into a $285 increase.
The average assessed value may vary from year to year.
Of the total $9,140 property tax bill for a house assessed at the borough average of $213,073, the school district property tax is $4,708, or 52 percent of the total tax bill.
The municipal property tax is $2,833, or 31 percent of the total tax bill.
The Mercer County property tax, which includes county government, the open space tax and the library tax, is $1,598. This amounts to 17 percent of the total tax bill.
Although property owners pay their taxes to Hightstown Borough, the town serves as the tax collector and distributes the money that is due to each entity – the school district, the county and the municipality.
