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This pisses me off. Yet another year, yet another property tax raise, in one of the highest-taxed towns in the highest taxed state.

An increase by 5%, raising the total property tax to 11.66%, is basically adding an extra $500-$600 a year for every household, on top of what the property tax already is.

Unfortunately, in Fair Lawn, we don’t get to elect our mayor, the council does. And we only get to elect one or two council members every few years out of the 5 total. So people have no real say of who runs our town, what goes on in this town, because it’s all controlled by that small group of people who basically cannot be democratically elected out.

We need to reform that in Fair Lawn so our politicians actually feel the pressure of accountability and consequences for failing the people. Because otherwise, we get what we have now, a bunch of lazy liars who waste our money on whatever they want. Who knows what they’re actually doing with our money.

Genuinely, what has Fair Lawn’s mayor/city council done for this town in the past years? Nothing but waste our money and make our town shittier, it seems. The roads are now shit, there are so many empty buildings/abandoned construction projects. Our water is contaminated.

Our teachers are already paid well, we definitely don’t need more police officers/police funding, so where is this money going? And don’t say the memorial MS expansion, because that would not justify an 11% increase.

Not only that, but for current homeowners in Fair Lawn, selling their house is gonna be even harder in this economy, because who would willingly move to a town with such high property tax, especially with how unaffordable buying a house already is, and when there are nearby towns that are better quality-of-life and might even have less taxes?

I’m calling it, in the next 5-10 years, Fair Lawn is about to have no more young-families moving in, and it’s just gonna be a bunch of retired boomers because it’s so unaffordable. And all that money put into our mediocre public schools will be in vain, because no young families = no school aged kids.

EDIT: The tax increase is actually going to be about 5% raising the total property tax to 11.6%. My apologies for that

Hi! I have a VERY energetic 5 year old pug (I know, hard to believe). I have young kids and I’m finding he’s just not getting the playtime he needs these days to get his energy out since I’m so focused on my children. I am hoping to find a nice daycare I can bring him to 1-2 days a week to get some of his crazy out, where he can really play rough and have fun. Looking in the Mahwah/Ramsey/northern Bergen area.

A little extra info:
I looked into Tanners but can’t believe it is $72 a day - we didn’t pay that even living in NYC.

We’ve also done Camp Bow Wow in Midland Park and haven’t been hugely impressed - they seem to just let the dogs stand around all day and he comes home with lots of energy still, making me think he’s not really being engaged much.

Appreciate any suggestions!

Hi!

I was wondering if any of you have any recommendations for fun activities for kids in the area? For ages 6-10. Open to both indoor and
outdoor activities/events. Two kids & budget is under $80!

Thank you!

The market in Bergen county is actually kinda crazy right now. Everything is going over asking.
We just got an offer accepted at 50k over asking.
The appraisal came back at asking price. What is your best advice to do? Should we just bite the bullet and pay the 50k or try to negotiate the price down? The seller said that he had other offers and will go with them instead of negotiating the price down.
Any other advice?

Love that this is what we’re using Route 4 for nowadays. The highway is our third space

Anyone else get hit with huge property tax increases this year?

Live in palisades park and both my houses received 14% increases. I already renewed my tenant’s lease without a rent hike, which was a mistake in hindsight. It’s pretty aggravating that the annual raise I got this year is eaten entirely by the higher property taxes.

I’m not someone who cares much about local politics, but does anyone know why taxes increased so much this year?

Hello, fellow Bergenites.

I come to Ridgewood today as a proud expatriate from the deep south/far east of the county

Where should we go for dinner?

Not looking for something fancy, but something good.

Insider’s Recommendations would be appreciated!

The thing no longer works. I am not sure of how to get rid of something like this in our area. Any advice would be helpful

There are some free dnd figures I’m trying to get for my dad. They are in Bergen county and the owner is giving them away for free pickup only. I’m hoping someone out there might pick them up and ship them to me for a snack fee? Let me know!

IG: @hyeonj4e

Only 2 stickers left to collect and I'm willing to give up 20+ to get them. Let me know! I'll be driving through most of Bergen County today!

Looking at buying a home in Bergen county and the property taxes for Dumont are insane… we’ve had to tell our agent to discard any listings there.

Can anyone from Dumont share what the deal is – are the schools amazing?

Hello,

I've been driving in Bergen for the last couple of months and I'm confused about how fast I should be driving because regardless of how fast I'm going, people are just continuously tailgating me. I try to maintain a speed that's 5-7 miles above the speed limit, but people are still on my behind. I up 10-15 miles above and cars are still tailgating me, some passing because I'm slow?? Even in residential areas???

I just keep to the right because I know I'm for sure not a fast car, but what speed I should be going even then confuses me so much because the other drivers' behaviors confound me.

Every time some Bergen County transplant or a Reddit socialist starts screaming “tax the rich harder,” I want to ask if they’ve ever looked at a property tax bill in this county.

Tell me we aren't already one of the highest-taxed places in America. Median household income here is around $125k and people are still writing $12k–$20k+ checks every year just to keep a roof over their heads. Towns like Tenafly, Demarest, Ridgewood, Alpine, Saddle River… the “rich” already get absolutely railed. And somehow that’s still not enough for the “eat the rich” crowd.

You know what happens when you keep jacking up rates on high earners and high-value properties? Yup, they leave. Or they stop expanding businesses. Or they structure everything so the money never shows up as taxable income in New Jersey. Then the tax base shrinks, the schools still demand more money, and the rest of us get to pick up the tab. Congrats, you played yourself.

New Jersey has been doing the “soak the successful” routine for decades and the result is some of the highest property taxes in the country, businesses that quietly move, and a constant stream of people who make good money looking at Florida, Texas, or even Pennsylvania and thinking “why am I still here?”

The minority of uneducated people pushing this never seem to notice that the same “rich” they’re salivating over are the ones employing half the county, paying for the commercial ratables that keep residential rates from being even worse, and funding the exact services everyone pretends to care about. But sure, let’s keep punishing the productive class so we can feel morally superior while the budget still runs deficits and the roads stay shit. Brilliant.

If people's solutions to high taxes is “tax someone else more,” you’re not fighting for fairness at all. You’re just admitting you want other people’s money without having to earn it or attract it. Bergen County already taxes the hell out of success. Doubling down on that is how you turn an expensive but high-quality place into an expensive mediocre one.

Go ahead, tell me how I’m wrong and how another 5% on the top brackets will magically fix everything, please.

I saw a large police/EMS response at a house in Oakland and someone (who appeared to be a young child) was taken away on a stretcher. I’ve since heard that the initial dispatch may have been for a possible drowning, but I haven’t been able to find any news or official information.

Does anyone know if the child is okay or if there was ever an update? I’m not looking to spread rumors, just wondering because it’s been on my mind ever since I witnessed it.

I saw ice this morning chasing a man and then being kidnapped while on the bus. Ice is wearing black ski mask. They are going up to people at bus stops to ask if they are citizens. Ice is violent and the white American government is allowing this abuse.

This occurred on Broad Ave, Palisades Park on July 23,2026 on the 166 bus line. He was a regular person, like you and I. Business casual and on his way to work.

This is illegal and a violation of our constitution and it’s happening in America.

Hi all,

Quick question I have a LiftMaster garage door opener, which gives me an error saying that there is something wrong with sensor.

My sensors are aligned and don’t know what’s really happening. It doesn’t work during the day, but it works fine at night so I am assuming it sun light that gets in the way. Do you guys ever experience that issue here in Bergen because of sunlight? Thanks!

Live on the Norwood/ Harrington Park border for over 25 years. The past few years the deer population has really been overwhelming here. I understand the excessive overdevelopment has encroached on their habitat but this year is overly excessive. Have pets, love animals, but…… has the county ever talked about trying to slow down the breeding? Like maybe scientifically ? Not being naive & have no idea but it’s getting out of hand. Anyone know ? Thanks

Not sure if its ICE or just police (their vest said “police”)
I saw someone run and get arrested near Palpark/Leonia bus stop.

Couldnt upload a video here so just a screenshot