Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When do I need a permit?
A. Permits are needed for most construction activities including plumbing and electrical work. Click here to see more details. In addition a permit is required prior to any activity that involves road openings including the installation of curbing. Most tree removals also require a permit.
Q. Who plows our streets?
A. The Township Public Works Department plows most residential streets and uses outside contractors to supplement their work crews. County roads (Shunpike, Fairmount, Southern Blvd., Meyersville Road and a portion of River Road) are plowed by the Morris County Road Department.
Q – Who collects garbage in the Township?
A – Homeowners hire a private contractor for garbage collection and are free to choose any licensed refuse hauler.
Q – What are the hours for the Recycling Center?
A – The Recycling Center is located on Tanglewood Lane and is open Tuesday: 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM and Saturday: 8:00 AM to Noon. Additionally, the Township contracts with the Morris County MUA for curbside collection twice per month.
Q. Why isn’t my sewer fee included in my taxes?
A. Not all property owners in the Township receive sewer service. They have septic systems that they are required to maintain at their own expense. It would not be fair to those property owners to pay for wastewater treatment.
Q. Does the Township measure sewer usage?
A. Sewage flow is not presently measured. Water service is provided by New Jersey American Water Company and not all water used goes into the sanitary sewer system. Outside water for swimming pools and irrigation would need to be deducted. The Township is exploring the possibility of changing the sewer billing system to account for usage.
Q – What are the utility companies in Chatham Township?
A – Gas – PSE&G
Phone – Verizon
Electric – JSP&L
Cable – Comcast
Water – New Jersey American Water Company
Q. Where percentage of property taxes goes to pay for schools, county and local government?
A. The Township serves as the tax collector for the School District of the Chathams, Morris County Government and the local government. 64 cents of every dollar collected goes to the School District, 17 cents goes to the County and the local government keeps 18 cents. The remaining 1 cent goes to the Open Space Trust Account to preserve open spaces and promote recreation.
Q. How are local taxes spent?
A. Of the 18 cents kept for local government services 28% goes to Public Safety; 21% pays for Public Works; 11% pays for insurance including liability, workers compensation and health. The rest goes to the Joint Library of the Chathams and for all other municipal services.
Q. What percentage of taxes is collected from residential property owners vs. commercial property owners?
A. The Township is predominantly residential. Therefore, residential property owners pay about 96% of property taxes.
Q. How much State Aid does the Township receive?
A. In 2009 the Township will receive just over $1,000,000 in State Aid, accounting for about 8% of total revenues.
Q. Where can I park for train service to New York?
A. There are train stations located in Chatham Borough, Madison and Summit with Mid-town Direct Service. Each has daily commuter parking available. There are also stations in Berkley Heights and New Providence for the Peapack Gladstone Line with transfers in Summit. New Providence has a limited number of commuter permits available for Township residents.
Q. Are Township Committee meetings televised?
A. The Township Committee meetings are televised live on FIOS Channel 26 and will soon also be available on Comcast Cable. Meetings are usually held the second and fourth Thursdays at 7:30PM.
Q. What recreational activities are available in the Township?
A. Chatham Township, in partnership with Chatham Borough, offers a full youth recreation program including baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, football, cheerleading, field hockey, summer sports camps and band and orchestra programs. (Click here for Chatham Parks and Recreation)
Q. Does the Township have a municipal pool?
A. The Township owns and operates Colony Pool and Tennis, a membership supported facility offering swimming, tennis and paddle tennis. Colony is located at Spring St. and School Ave. (Click her for Colony)
Q. Are there any golf courses in Chatham Township?
A. The Fairmount Country Club is located in the Township. Fairmount is a private club.
There are many other golf courses in the region including 4 public courses that are owned and operated by the Morris County Park Commission.
Q. Where is the municipal building located?
A. The Municipal Offices are located at 58 Meyersville Road. The administrative offices, construction office and municipal court are all located there. The Senior Center and Board of Education Administrative Offices are also located in the municipal building.
Q – How can I contact the Mayor?
A – E-mail :Mayor Kevin R. Tubbs Ktubbs@chathamtownship.org;
Regular Mail – 58 Meyersville Road Chatham, NJ 07928.
Q – How can I contact the Senior Center?
A – The Senior Center’s phone number is 973-635-4565
Q – At what time can construction work begin?
A – Monday through Friday – 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturday – 8:00 AM to 6:00 P.M.
Sundays & Holidays – No contractor may operate on Sundays and Holidays
General Information of the Township of Chatham
