New Jersey Property Tax Relief Pits Babies Against Baby Boomers

There’s been no shortage of state property tax relief programs targeting senior homeowners. Under StayNJ, announced last month, homeowners age 65 and older will see an average 50% reduction in levied property tax.

There’s no question some seniors struggle with rising property taxes, but they’re not unique. Policies aimed at ameliorating that pinch shouldn’t be at the expense of other groups similarly stuck between a rock and a high rate.

This proposal has multiple issues. It creates a tax policy sliding puzzle—moving pieces around to mitigate school budget shortfalls or insulate school performance metrics against planned cuts.

It also ...