40A:14-79 Tax assessment; tax due.

40A:14-79. Upon proper certification pursuant to section 9 of P.L.1979, c.453 (C.40A:14-78.5), the assessor of the municipality in which the fire district is situate shall assess the amount to be raised by taxation to support the district budget against the taxable property therein, in the same manner as municipal taxes are assessed and the said amount shall be assessed, levied and collected at the same time and in the same manner as other municipal taxes.

For the purposes of this section:

"District tax due" or "tax due" means the amount so assessed less the district's proportionate share of the property taxes no longer owed by the municipality pursuant to the blue acres property tax exemption established by subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.2013, c.261 (C.54:4-3.3g) and less any applicable credit established by subsection e. of section 1 of P.L.2013, c.261 (C.54:4-3.3g).

The collector or treasurer of the municipality in which said district is situate shall pay over all district tax due to the treasurer or custodian of funds of said fire district as follows: on or before April 1, an amount equaling 21.25% of all tax due; on or before July 1, an amount equaling 22.5% of all tax due; on or before October 1, an amount equaling 25% of all tax due; and on or before December 31, an amount equaling the difference between the total of all tax due, and the total of the quarterly amounts of such moneys previously paid over to the fire district. These moneys are to be held and expended for the purpose of providing and maintaining means for extinguishing fires in such district.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the municipal governing body may authorize, in the cash management plan adopted by it pursuant to N.J.S.40A:5-14, a schedule of payments of fire district tax due by which an amount greater than required on any of the first three payment dates cited herein may be paid over. The municipal governing body and board of fire commissioners may, by concurrent resolution, adopt a schedule of payments of fire district tax due by which an amount less than required on any of the first three payment dates cited herein may be paid over. Such resolution shall be included in the cash management plan adopted by the municipal governing body pursuant to N.J.S.40A:5-14.

The commissioners may also pay back, or cause to be paid back to such municipality, any funds or any part thereof paid to the treasurer or custodian of funds of such fire district by the collector or treasurer of the municipality, representing taxes levied for fire district purposes but not actually collected in cash by said collector or treasurer.

amended 1979, c.453, s.14; 1985, c.288, s.4; 2013, c.261, s.2.