The move comes months after state officials reprimanded county board for years of inaction
MIDDLESEX COUNTY -- The county tax board ordered property revaluations in two municipalities in Middlesex County Tuesday night, according to officials.
The move comes months after state officials reprimanded board, saying in a letter they've "shirked their responsibilities" to county residents, by not ordering the revaluations in more than two decades.
Middlesex Borough residents will start paying their new tax rate in 2019, while Old Bridge's rate will take effect 2020, officials at the county tax board confirmed Wednesday.
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Both municipalities haven't had a revaluation or property resassesment in 25 years, which is a concern to state officials because it can lead to over-taxing or under-taxing of residents.
"We are pleased that the Middlesex County Board of Taxation has carried out its responsibilities and unanimously ordered these long-overdue property tax revaluations," said Willem Rijksen, a spokesman for the state's Department of the Treasury.
Revaluation, which is extensive, in-depth look at property values by a third party, are often ordered when a reassessment hasn't been performed by the local tax assessor for a number of years or after a significant amount of local redevelopment.
The state Division of Taxation has already ordered two municipalities, South River Borough and Dunellen, to adjust property values to more closely align the local tax rate with current market value.
It's been a quarter-century since Edison, Woodbridge, South Brunswick, East Brunswick, South Plainfield and Highland Park have reassessed the market value of its properties.
Calls to Middlesex and Old Bridge mayors were not immediately returned.
In 2017, New Brunswick City will undergo a revaluation and Carteret will have a reassessment.
Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.