Lawrence Township property owners should begin looking for their 2019 property tax bills, which have been delayed in being mailed.
The tax bills should have been mailed several weeks ago, but the mailing is late due to the delay in certifying the tax rates at the Mercer County level.
The third quarter property tax payment was due Aug. 1, but Lawrence Township officials are extending the deadline to Sept. 3 without penalty. If the bill is paid after Sept. 3, interest will accrue on the amount back to Aug. 1.
Meanwhile, property owners will see a small increase in the property tax rate and the amount owed. The total tax rate for 2019 is $2.86 per $100 of assessed value, compared to the 2018 total tax rate of $2.80.
This means the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $281,285 will pay $8,044 in property taxes, based on a total tax rate of $2.86 per $100 of assessed value.
Of the amount, the municipal property tax is $1,603, based on a tax rate of 57 cents per $100 of assessed value, plus an additional $84 for the municipal open space tax at a rate of 3 cents per $100 of assessed value.
The Lawrence Township Public Schools property tax is $4,275, based on a tax rate of $1.52 per $100 of assessed value.
The combined Mercer County property tax rate – for county government, the county library system and the county open space tax – is 74 cents per $100 of assessed value, which translates into $2,081.
Although property owners write out their checks to Lawrence Township, the township serves as the tax collector and distributes the money that is due to each governmental entity – the school district, the county government and then the township.
