Edward Kerwin, Tax Assessor – A Good Man Made to Look Bad
Ed Kerwin is a Tax Assessor and a good man who has recently been made to look bad as he’s apparently become the target of a regional publication, myCentralJersey.com, simply because he works for 9 different towns in New Jersey.
In the interest of “full disclosure,” let me say, that I’ve known Ed Kerwin since 1985 when we worked together for a local appraisal firm. In fact, he and I studied together to prepare for the test to become a Certified Tax Assessor in 1986, which we both achieved. But, like all busy people with numerous demands for our time and with each of our careers taking different paths, we saw less and less of each other over recent years.
Nonetheless, I can say without hesitation or reservation, that Ed Kerwin is simply one of the good guys.
He’s an honest, honorable man dedicated to his family and his work. Yet, a regional news publication has seen fit to paint him as some sort of a bad person because he works for 9 different towns, earns an aggregate income higher than the average person, and will be rewarded with a state funded pension far higher than most people will achieve.
And, that seems to be the whole thrust of their article; that, Ed Kerwin is a successful achiever and that somehow that’s a bad thing, which is a total perversion of the truth, and contrary to what we teach our children as being the lofty goal of every human being.
Above all else, Ed Kerwin has played by the rules set down by the State of New Jersey; he’s done nothing wrong and has committed no crime.
Ed Kerwin didn’t get hired by 9 different towns just because he’s a nice guy (which he does happen to be). He got hired because he’s good at what he does.
Ed Kerwin got good at what he does because he has invested years of his life making numerous sacrifices, getting extensive advanced education, and undertaking work assignments earlier in his career that paid little (or nothing), but gave him the experience he knew he would need to advance his career.
Ed Kerwin is a tax assessor in 9 different municipalities because of the structure and the policies of the State of New Jersey, not because Ed Kerwin did anything wrong, deceitful, or any other dishonorable act; nor did any of the 9 towns that hired Ed as their municipal assessor.
If there is a “blame” to be placed by those who wrote and published this misguided attack on Mr. Kerwin, it should be directed toward the fact that, unlike many other states that assess real property at the county level, the State of New Jersey has 567 individual real property tax assessing districts; 1 for each municipality.
Each one of those 567 taxing districts is required by the state to adhere to the New Jersey Constitution, particularly as it pertains to its requirements for valuing / assessing real property which necessarily requires each municipality to employ a New Jersey Certified Tax Assessor.
However, due to various factors, including the fact that there are many small municipalities with relatively few properties (line items) and some with very few, if any, complex income properties, many municipalities would suffer an unnecessary financial burden if they were each required to hire a full-time assessor. This financial burden would naturally be borne by their taxpayers.
Consequently, many municipalities hire a part-time assessor at a lower rate of income in order to serve their constitutional requirements and not overburden the taxpayers of their towns.
So, in economic terms, there is absolutely no difference to the taxpaying public as to whether each of the 9 towns in which Mr. Kerwin works hired Mr. Kerwin or if each town hired 9 different tax assessors.
That’s because each town would still have to pay a salary to a Certified Tax Assessor. So, that’s the same as they are paying to Mr. Kerwin.
Each of those 9 Certified Tax Assessors would also each receive a state pension equal to that which will be paid to Mr. Kerwin.
So, where’s the economic difference resulting from Ed Kerwin working for 9 different municipalities, as compared with each of those 9 municipalities if they had hired 9 different assessors?
In fact, there is no economic difference.
So, why does myCentralJersey.com have a problem with Ed Kerwin working for 9 different municipalities?
In my opinion, the only “problem” that MyCentralJersey.com seems to have, is a matter of their jealousy caused by the fact that only one person is earning what they seem to think is too much money . . . which is really none of their damned business.
Finally, in case you’re wondering, I have not had any communication whatsoever with Ed Kerwin since the last time we met in 2006. I also have not spoken with anyone about this opinion piece or even the fact that I was considering writing it.
