Council Approves Estimated Tax Bills

Residents should expect to receive estimated tax bills from the town in the coming weeks.

The Town Council voted Tuesday night to approve the bills in order to maintain cash flow during the summer. Councilman Mark Ciarrocca, the finance committee chairman, said the estimated bills will include the town's final tax rate, and will help residents meet the July property tax payment deadline.

The estimated bills are needed due to the town's decision to dedicate most of the surplus to operating expenses in the proposed 2010 budget. During the summer, the town is due to send tax payments to the Board of Education and county government and surplus funds had covered those payments in the past. The tax bills typically had gone out later due to delays with finalizing the town budget.

Ciarrocca said the town will send out estimated tax bills and final tax bills which will likely contain the same information in them. This is due to the state requirement of a final tax bill being sent out after the town budget is certified by the state Department of Community Affairs.

Westfield officials sought an exemption from the state to send a final tax bill, a request which was not granted.