TAX BILLS ARE IN THE MAIL
Tax Bills for 2007 were scheduled to be mailed early in the week of July 23.
Taxes are due on August 1, but the Commissioners have provided a grace period until Friday, August 17. As provided for by State law, property owners who do not pay their taxes until after August 17 will be charged interest from the due date: August 1.

WE’VE GOT YOUR NUMBER ... OR HAVE WE?
The ability of our Police and Fire Departments to do their jobs efficiently and effectively depends, in part, on their being able to identify, quickly and acurately, the properties they have been summoned to.
Homeowners are asked to ensure that their homes are identified, clearly and conspicuously, with house numbers.
Numbers should:
• Be large enough to be read from the roadway.
• Stand out against their background.
• Not be obscued by foliage or other obstructions.
• Numbers that are affixed to the main structure (as opposed to a light pole, fence, or other object near the property line) should be in the vicinity of the front door.

WATER QUALITY REPORT
The Water Quality Report for 2006 was mailed recently to all addresses in the Borough. Any property owners or residents who did not receive the report in the mail may obtain a copy at the Borough Hall (Room 105), Information Center, Public Library, or Mabel Kay House

CCMUA REBATE FOR SENIORS (AND OTHERS)
The Camden County Board of Freeholders is offering a $50 rebate on CCMUA payments made by senior citizens and disabled residents who are non-delinquent, current CCMUA customers with a combined gross income of $40,000 or less (including Social Security) who resided in the County is 2006.
Forms to claim the rebate are available at the Borough Hall (Room 105), Information Center, and Mabel Kay House.
The deadline to apply is August 31, 2007.

ROAD CONSTRUCTION UNDER WAY
Work on various streets has been scheduled to begin during the weeks beginning ...
• July 23 – Sylvan Lake Avenue
• July 30 – Westwood Avenue (Warwick to end)
• August 6 – Rhoads Avenue (Haddon to Nicholson)
• August 13 – Walnut Street (Ellis to East Park)
Residents will be notified by letter prior to the commencement of work.
Bids have been invited for roadwork on Mt. Vernon Avenue (from West End to Avondale). The due date is August 16.

RECYCLING NOTE!
Business owners are reminded that cardboard boxes placed on the sidewalks for recycling must be broken down to flats and tied in bundles. Violations will be prosecuted.

REASSESSMENT QUESTIONS ANSWERED
More than 75 people attended a meeting in the Borough Hall auditorium on July 19 to hear a presentation from the Tax Assessor about the reassessment program that is under way, ask questions, and hear answers.
The Assessor estimates that about 70% of the properties in the Borough have been visited and that internal access has been gained in about 80% of the properties visited. He expects to complete exterior inspections by the end of August and interior inspections by the end of September.
It is expected that valuations will be calculated in September, and that notices of the new assessments will be mailed by the end of November.
Property owners are reminded that the reassessment will be “revenue neutral” – in other words:
• The total value of properties (and of most individual properties) in the Borough will increase ...
• But the tax rate will decrease in order that ...
• The total amount of taxes collected by the Borough will remain the same.

Here is an example for an individual residential property, using actual numbers from the 1994-95 reassessment:
Before After
Assessed value $75,000 $167,000
Tax rate 0.568 0.255
Taxes( no change ) $4,260 $4,258

If the new assessment had been less than $167,000, the taxes for that property would have gone down:
Assessed value $75,000 $150,000
Tax rate 0.568 0.255
Taxes( =decrease ) $4,260 $3,825

If the new assessment had been more than $167,000, the taxes for that property would have gone up:
Assessed value $75,000 $175,000
Tax rate 0.568 0.255
Taxes( =increase ) $4,260 $4,463

About one-third of property owners will see their taxes go down, because the assessed value of their properties will have increased at a rate that is less than the Borough average. One-third will see no significant change in their taxes, because their assessed value will have increased at a rate equal to the Borough average. And one-third will see their property taxes increase, because their assessed value will have increased at a rate that is more than the Borough average.
The bottom line? About two in three Haddonfield property owners will see either no significant change in their taxes, or they will see a decrease. About one in three will see an increase.

CHANGING THE GUARD AT PUBLIC WORKS
After 25 years of dedicated service to the Borough and the community, the past 16 of them as Superintendent of the Public Works Department, Howard Frazier will retire at the end of July.
Over 25 applications were received for the post, which was advertised in local and state publications and on the Web. The Commissioners have appointed David Watson, the current Acting Superintendent of Public Works in Berlin Borough.
Mr. Watson is a NJ Certified Public Works Manager and a NJ Licensed Professional Engineer. He also holds a number of other licenses. During his career he has worked for several engineering firms and held various positions over six years with Consumers New Jersey Water Company both in engineering and as Superintendent of Operations. He became Assistant Superintendent of Public Works in Berlin Borough in 2005. He lives in Marlton.
On behalf of the entire community, the Commissioners express their thanks and appreciation to Howard Frazier for his expertise, dedication, resoucefulness, and thoroughly professional approach to the management and operation of the Public Works function. His successor will have big boots to fill.

FIRE COMPANY WELCOMES NEW MEMBER
During their meeting on June 26, the Commissioners accepted the application of Krista Parks for membership in Haddon Fire Company No. 1.
Krista’s becoming a member of the Company is timely, since Howard Frazier (see above), a longtime and active member, will be relocating away from Haddonfield, and will therefore be leaving the Company.
As older members retire, it is essential that new volunteers step forward to take their place to keep the Company at full strength. The Commissioners encourage community minded individuals who live and/or work in Haddonfield and vicinity to consider a “volunteer career” with the second oldest volunteer fire company in continuous service in the United States.
Call Chief Joe Riggs at 856-429-4308.

A FABULOUS FOURTH
Thousands of residents and visitors flocked to the High School on the evening of July 3 for delightful musical entertainment and fabulous fireworks, and to Kings Highway on the morning on July 4 for the finest expression of Independence Day spirit in the region.
The Commissioners thank the Celebrations Association for once again sponsoring – and funding – Haddonfield’s Fourth of July activities. And they remind residents and business owners that contributions to the Association are welcomed throughout the year. The address is PO Box 15, Haddonfield NJ 08033; or Haddonfield Information Center, 2 Kings Court.

RFP FOR DOWNTOWN ZONING
The Borough has issued a request for proposals for the creation of a form-based development ordinance. This ordinance will codify the changes to the Master Plan that were approved recently by the Planning Board. Those changes were based on recommendations that resulted from the Downtown Visioning study.
Responses to the RFP are due on July 19.

SUMMER TIME IS ROADWORKS TIME
During their meeting on June 26, the Commissioners authorized the awarding of several bids for roadworks.
Paramount Enterprises, Inc. of Cherry Hill was the lowest qualified bidder for road work on Walnut Street (Ellis to East Park), Rhoads Avenue (Haddon to Nicholson), Birchall Drive (Kings Highway W. to Homestead), and Westwood (Warwick to the end). The value of that contract is $265,293.
The road work on Walnut and Rhoads will involve the laying of a new road surface after utility work has been completed. The roadwork on Birchall and Westwood will involve milling of the existing road surface and the overlay of a new road surface on the existing base.
This work is being carried out in response to the Commissioners’ commitment to dedicate $1,000,000 in tax revenues per year to roadworks throughout the Borough.
P&D Construction of Vineland was the lowest qualified bidder for utility replacement work on Rhoads Avenue. Contract value $405,629.69. This work will involve the replacement of water and sewer mains, and sewer laterals.
DeFalco & Bisconti of Atco was the lowest qualified bidder for utility replacement work on Walnut Street. Contract value $149,810.06. This work will involve the replacement of a water main, some laterals, and some water services.
Residents of the affected streets will be notified by letter prior to the commencement of work.

REASSESSMENT? ASK THE ASSESSOR!
To help property owners – both residential and commercial – understand the basis and process of the reassessment program that is currently being carried out in Haddonfield, the Tax Assessor will conduct a Question-and-Answer Meeting in the Borough Hall auditorium on Thursday, July 19, at 7:00pm.
Those who plan to attend the meeting are encouraged to read background information about the program in advance of the meeting. Many answers to common questions are contained in a leaflet published by the Tax Assessor. Copies are available at the Borough Hall, Information Center, Public Library, and Mabel Kay House. A PDF may be downloaded from the Borough’s Web site: haddonfieldnj.org/borough_revalue.php.
The reassessment program began in November 2006; field work is expected to be completed in September 2007.
Property owners who are not able to attend the July 19 meeting may call 429-4700 x 226 to speak with the Assessor, or send questions to him at tcolavecchio@haddonfield-nj.gov.