The Lawrence Township Council has appointed Henry J. Nonnenberg Jr. to become the next Lawrence Township tax assessor.
Nonnenberg, who was one of three applicants for the job, was appointed at a special meeting April 9. He is filling out the remaining few months of former Tax Assessor Ken Pacera’s term, who retired last month.
Nonnenberg began work April 14. He was also appointed to a four-year term of his own, beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2029, at the April 9 meeting.
The newly appointed tax assessor will be paid $91,570. Pacera, who worked in the Lawrence Township Tax Assessor’s Office for 26 years, was earning $138,277.
Nonneberg comes to Lawrence Township from the Monroe Township Tax Assessor’s Office, where he was an assistant tax assessor. He was certified as a tax assessor on Jan. 1, 2023. Before joining the Monroe Township Tax Assessor’s Office in 2023, he was a realtor, real estate appraiser and real estate investor and project manager.
A tax assessor is not the same as a real estate appraiser.
The tax assessor determines the values of all properties – including residential, commercial, industrial and vacant land – for property tax purposes in a municipality. The assessed value of a property is the basis for determining the amount of real estate taxes owed by the owner to support municipal, school and county budgets.
The tax assessor also handles tax appeals filed by property owners. Although it is called a tax appeal, it is challenging the assessed value that the tax assessor has placed on the property. It can often be settled between the assessor and the owner. If the assessed value exceeds $1 million, the appeal is handled by the Mercer County Board of Taxation.
A real estate appraiser estimates the value of a single property, typically for a bank or mortgage company. The value is known as the market value, or sales value. Depending on when a property was assessed and on the real estate market, the market value may be more than the assessed value.
Also at the April 9 meeting, the Township Council appointed BRB Valuation & Consulting Service for the remainder of 2025 as a tax evaluation consultant. The company will be paid $10,000.
“This is an expert that we must retain to assist in tax appeals,” Municipal Manager Kevin Nerwinski said. “We have not had to do this before because our tax assessor acted as our own expert because of his years of experience.
“But with the current appointment (of Nonnenberg), through discussions with the Mercer County Board of Taxation, to provide proper support to our (new) assessor, we feel it is important to have this expert on retainer to assist us through tax appeals, in particular commercial tax appeals,” he said.
Nerwinski said $10,000 is forecasted to meet the township’s needs for the next few months. It is possible that BRB Valuation & Consulting Service may be needed for awhile, he said.
The Township Council appointed David Levy to act as a consultant and adviser on an as-needed basis to assist Nonnenberg for the rest of 2025. He will be paid $250 per hour.
The Township Council also appointed Jennifer Carabelli to act as a contingent consultant and adviser on an as-needed basis for the rest of 2025. She will fill in for Levy if he is not available. She will be paid $250 per hour.
Both Levy and Carabelli formerly worked in the Lawrence Township Tax Assessor’s Office.
Nerwinski said Levy will be available to help Nonnenberg get through commercial appraisals and on issues that may arise if he wants and needs assistance.
Township Councilwoman Olympia Perry said that in many situations where someone is new to the position, they need a little bit of backup. The township was fortunate to have Pacera for so many years, she said.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, resident Ken Kiernan was critical of the appointment of Nonnenberg. He has “zero experience” in tax appeals, and now the township has to pay more to cover him, he added.
Perry said it was a personnel issue and would not be discussed.
“We are hiring (BRB Valuation & Consulting and Levy and Carabelli) for backup and support,” she said. “It is not an uncommon practice. Going forward, based on the experience and how he develops in the position, we may need to continue (the consultants).
“Just think about entry level position salaries versus experienced level position salaries. It is not an additional cost (for the consultants) to Lawrence Township. It is net neutral.”
Nonnenberg is being paid less than Pacera, so the costs of the consultants may be covered by the difference in salaries.
