Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19) joined Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez (D-32), Guttenberg Mayor Wayne Zitt, and other local officials at the local resource center inside the Galaxy Mall to discuss the ANCHOR property tax relief program this morning.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“As you may be aware, the ANCHOR program was recently signed into law and is a very important program for not only property owners throughout Guttenberg and the State of New Jersey, but also for tenants and people that live here,” explained Guttenberg Business Administrator Cosmo Cirillo, who is also a West New York commissioner.
“I can’t thank the legislature more for getting this through … I stand here very proud that we have the speaker in our town, we got a great team here in our town, today’s presentation is exciting: let’s take it in, we have our staff here in the back to assist anybody,” added Zitt.
ANCHOR stands for Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters and replaces the replaces the Homestead Benefit program.
Residents should have received an application from the state Division of Taxation in the past few weeks, which can be sent through the mail or submitted on their website until December 30th.
Coughlin, who succeed Jimenez’s former running mate Vincent Prieto as the assembly speaker in 2018, praised her efforts in Trenton before explaining that the legislature invested $2 billion in property tax relief this time around.
“If your income level is up to $250,000 per family, you get $1,000. If your income level is $150,000 and below, you get $1,500,” Coughlin explained, giving Guttenberg leaders a part on the back for ensuring residents knew how to secure the relief.
” … I’ll gotta tell you: every time I go on the web to try to apply for something, there’s often cursing involved and lots of frustration. But having someone whose skilled at navigating those things is a real benefit to people so I couldn’t compliment you guys more.”
Additionally, Jimenez noted that renters can receive up to $450 in relief.
When one of the three dozen of so in attendance asked what would happen if a household makes more than $250,000, Jimenez joked “I would marry you” to loud laughter from the audience.
“When I received my ANCHOR form, it had a number and a PIN number so it was quick and it was painless … you can either get it via a direct deposit into your account when you get your taxes done or you can get a manual check that will come in May of next year,” she added.
To be eligible, homeowners must have been a New Jersey resident, owned and occupied a home in New Jersey that was their principal residence on October 1st, 2019, paid the 2019 property taxes on their main home, and not earned a gross income of more than $250,000 in 2019.
As for tenants, the requirements are nearly the same, though they must have lived in a unit with separate kitchen and bath facilities and paid rent at a facility that was subject to local property taxes.
They also could not have earned a gross income of more than $150,000 in 2019.
