Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
     6-24-11 Democrat Budget Proposal brings aid to all districts
     4-29-11 BOOMERANG! Near 80 per cent of School Budgets Passed in Wednesday'sSchool Elections
     4-21-11 Supreme Court hears school funding argument
     4-14-11 Governor Releases Legislation to Address Education Reform Package
     4-8-11 Education Issues in the News
     4-7-11 Early news coverage & press releases - Governor's Brooking Inst. presentation on his education reform agenda
     3-25-11 Education Week on School Cutbacks Around The Nation
     2-7-11 Education - and Controversy - in the News
     12-5-10 Sunday News - Education-related Issues
     10-8-10 Education Issue in the News
     9-1-10 Education in the News
     8-27-10 later morning - breaking news: Statehouse Bureau ‘Gov. Chris Christie fires N.J. schools chief Bret Schundler’
     8-27-10 Star Ledger ‘U.S. officials refute Christie on attempt to fix Race to the Top application during presentation’
     8-25-10 Race to the Top articles - the 'day after' news analysis
     8-16-10 Senate Education hears 'for discussion only' comments re expanding charter school authorization process; Commissioner Schundler relays education priorities to the Committee
     8-13-10 East Brunswick Public School seeks stay on Hatikvah Charter School opening this fall (re: Hatikvah not meeting minimum enrollment requirement)
     7-3-10 Governor Christie and Legislative leaders reached agreement today on a 2% property tax cap with 4 major exemptions
     7-1 and 2- 10 Governor Christie convened the Legislature to address property tax reform
     GSCS On the Scene in Trenton: State Budget poised to pass late Monday...Cap Proposals, Opportunity Scholarship Act in Limbo
     6-28-10 State Budget tops the news today
     GSCS On the Scene in Trenton: Cap Proposals, Opportunity Scholarship Act in Limbo
     6-23-10 Trenton News: State Budget on the move...Education Issues
     6-11-10 In the News: State Budget moving ahead on schedule
     6-10-10 Op-Ed in Trenton Times Sunday June 6 2010
     6-8-10 Education issues in the news today - including 'hold' on pension reform, round two
     6-8-10 (posted) Education & Related Issues in the News
     6-4-10 Education News
     4-23-10 Education issues remain headline news
     4-22-10 School Elections - in the News Today
     4-6-10 'Gov. Chris Chrisite extends dealdine for teacher salary concessions'
     4-6-10 'NJ school layoffs, program cuts boost attention to Apri 20 votes
     4-2-10 Press of Atlantic City lists county impact re: school aid reduction
     4-2-10 'On Titanic, NJEA isn't King of the World'
     4-1-10 Courier Post article reports on Burlington and Camden County district budgets
     4-1-10 Education in the News today
     4-1-10 New Initiatives outlined to encourage wage freezes - reaction
     3-30-10 Race to the Top winners helped by local buy-in
     3-29-10 The Record and Asbury Park Press - Editorials
     3-26-10 School Aid, Budget Shortfall - Impt Related Issues = Front Page News
     3-23-10 ' N.J. Gov. Chris Christie signs pension, benefits changes for state employees'
     3-23-10 State Budget Issues in the News
     3-17-10 Budget News - Gov. Chris Christie proposes sacrifices
     3-17-10 Budget News - NJ Schools Stunned By Cuts
     3-14-10 'Christie will propose constitutional amendment to cap tax hikes in N.J. budget'
     3-4-10 'School aid cuts unavoidable during NJ budget crisis'
     3-3-10 'Public Education in N.J.: Acting NJ Comm of Educ Bret Schundler says 'Opportunity'
     2-26-10 'NJ average property taxes grow 3.3 percent to an average of $7,300'
     2-24-10 'Tight funds raise class sizes that districts long sought to cut'
     2-22-10 Christie and unions poised to do batttle over budget cuts'
     2-19-10 'Acting NJ education commissioner hoping other savings can ward off cuts'
     2-22-10 Trenton Active Today
     2-16-10 'Christie Adopts Corzine Cuts, Then Some'
     1-29-10 Schools in the News
     1-20-10 'N.J. files application for federal Race to the Top education money'
     1-20-10 Editorials, Commentary on New Governor in Trenton
     1-15-10 Education News-Race to the Top incentives, NCLB annual results, supermajority vote upheld
     1-14-10 'N.J. Gov.-elect Christie targets teachers' union with Schundler appointment'
     1-14-10 'To lead schools, Christie picks voucher advocate'
     1-13-10 More articles, plus Wikipedia information re New Education Commissioner, Bret Schundler
     1-13-10 More articles + Wikipedia information re New Education Commissioner, Bret Schundler
     1-13-10 Christie Press Conference reports
     1-12-10 Change in Trenton
     1-6-10 Race to the Top Plans on the move, not without conflict
     12-23-09 Press of Atlantic City - 'Corzine forms panel to aid nonpublic schools'
     1-5-10 News articles re: lame duck
     1-4-10 'Last Call for Lame Ducks in Trenton'
     1-5-10 Update on January 4 Lame Duck Session
     12-28-09 Education Week 'Race to Top' Driving Policy Action Across States
     12-27-09 'New Jersey competes for education reform stimulus money' (aka 'Race to the Top' funds)
     12-20-09 Education in the News
     12-12 & 13-09 Education Issues in the News
     11-29-09 Ramifications - News of NJ's fiscal realities
     11-20-09 'Christie lays down his law for state'
     11-13-09 Education Week on: Gov-elect Christie's Education Agenda; Race to the Top Funds Rules
     11-12-09 Governor-elect Christie names his 10 member transition team
     11-11-09 'Oliver ready for Nov.23 leadership vote, wants up or down vote on marriage equality'
     11-11-09 Christie mum on fiscal emergency declaration
     11-9-09 Edcuation in the News
     11-8-09 News of Note
     11-6-09 News of Note
     11-5-09 Day After the Election News
     11-3-09 ELECTION DAY IS TODAY - SHOW UP AND VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATES OF YOUR CHOICE
     11-2-09 NY Times NJ Governors' race update
     11-4-09 Record low turnout elects Chris Chrisite NJ's Governor
     11-3-09 'Chris Christie wins N.J. governor race'
     11-1-09 Education News of Note
     Education Week on Federal Stimulus Funding Issues
     10-26-09 'High school sports spending grows as budgets get tighter inNew Jersey'
     10-22-09 News of Note
     10-20-09 News of Note
     10-19-09 Education Week 'States felling fiscal pain despite the stimulus'
     10-14-09 'Meetings are just the tip of the iceberg'
     10-7 & 9-09 Gubernatorial Campaign news: Candidates on education; Corzine on next year's state budget
     10-5-09 Gannett: Editorial & Recommendations re: Gubernatorial Campaign Issues '09
     10-4-09 NY Times 'As Property Taxes Become a Real Burden'
     10-2-09 News of Note
     10-1-09 Education Week on Acheivement Gap narrowing; Algebra Testing
     9-30-09 'Attack ads give way to issues as campaign enters final phase'
     9-30-09 Results of School Construction bond referenda rolling in
     9-27-09 Education News of Note
     9-23-09 'Tests changing for special ed students'
     9-16-09 Courier News Editorial
     9-9-09 News of Note
     9-13-09 As an issue for N.J.(Gubernatorial election), schools are in'
     9-3 & 4-09 News of Note
     8-20-09 'Nearly all NJ teachers are highly qualified'
     8-10-09 News of Note
     8-7-09 'Bill would strengthen teacher tenure rights'
     8-4-09 Recent NJ Education News of Note
     7-22-09 'State gives extra aid for schools an extraordinary boost'
     7-16-08 Schools Testing measures adopted; Test scoring upgraded - harder to pass
     7-14-09 Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial
     7-1-09 What's the Buzz: News of Note
     4-23-09 The public shows its support for public education in passing nearly 75 per cent of school budgets statewide
     4-17-09 The $609M Federal Stimulus aid to NJ - initial reactions
     4-19 and 20-09 Editorial and School Elections articles
     3-29-09 Record Editorial on Judge Doyne recommendations
     3-10-09 GOVERNOR TO DELIVER STATE BUDGET MESSAGE TODAY - SCHOOL AID FIGURES TO BE RELEASED BY THURSDAY LATEST
     1-11-09 'Corzine State of State speech to put economy front & center'
     12-28-08 NY Times 'Pension Fight Signals What Lies Ahead'
     12-29-08 NJ to new leaders - Fund our schools
     11-19-08 'Too soon to scrap Abbott'
     11-24-08 Editorial asks for preschool initiative slow down
     11-23-08 State lacks financial incentives to sell concept of school mergers
     9-24-08 Editorials re High School Redesign issues
     9-24-08 Commissioner of Education at Assembly Education Committee yesterday
     9-24-08 Supreme Court hearing on constitutionality of School Funding Reform Act
     8-29-08 'Newly hired teachers benefit from Corzine delay'
     8-26-08 What's the Buzz...
     News on the Issues - Stay Informed
     8-15-08 'Superintendents sue education commissioner'
     8-14-07 In the news today
     7-28 &29- 08 Fuel cost crisis impacting school budgets across the nation
     6-13-08 News on Education Committee actions yesterday in Trenton
     6-10-08 NJ lawmakers work on $33B spending plan Tuesday
     6-9-08 GSCS Quick Facts: TRENTON FOCUS THIS WEEK
     6-4-08 In the News
     5-21-08 News Articles & editorial
     4-30-08 'Loophole on town mergers targeted
     4-18 & 4-21-08 RECENT LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS: 3 MAJOR POLICY CHANGES PROMOTED BY ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBERTS
     NEWS EDITORIALS Star Ledger 4-19 & 4-20 Ammo for Abbott Foes & Spending but with Restraint
     Recent news articles of note re: probable 'lame duck ' legislative session issues - to be or not to be- and controversial school construction report
     10-23 Media reports & Trenton responses to date re GSCS Press Conf
     In the news - Corzine on school aid formula & good news for urban schools
     9-13-07Corzine adds school aid to the lame-duck agenda
     Back to School News of Note
     8-10-07 'Standing 'O' greets Corzine as he hosts town hall mtg'
     8-8-07 Editorial 'School [construction] program needs more than a facelift'
     8-2-07 Editorial 'Reliance on property taxes must be fixed'
     8-1-07 'Paterson isn't ready to gain control' & 7-29 'The Numbers still don't add up'
     7-27-07 Retiree health costs 'time bomb'
     7-26-07 'State's tab for retirees' health care is $58B'
     7-25-07 Debate over School Tests
     7-25-07 NY Times '2 NJ school districts regain some local control'
     6-29-07 Lots of news affecting NJ, its schools and communities this week - STATE BUDGET signed - LIST OF LINE ITEM VETOES - US SUPREME CT RULING impacts school desgregation - SPECIAL EDUCATION GROUPS file suit against state
     5-21-07 In Connecticut '2 School Aid Plans Have a Similar Theme'
     5-16-07 Education Week 'Frustration Builds in NJ Funding Debate'
     5-15-07 Grad students tackle school funding issues
     4-18-07 School Budget Vote passed statewide at 78% rate - GSCS take: state aid increases a factored in offsetting property tax increases, thus boosting passing rate by 24.6%, up from last year's passing rate of 53.4%
     4-4-07 News articles, editorial & Op-Ed on bill signings for A1 and A4
     4-4-07 N Y Times, front page 'NJ Pension Fund Endangered by Diverted Billions'
     3-25-07 New York Times on NJ Comparative Spending Guide, more on Gov putting off signing A1, Tax Caps & Rebate bill
     3-16-07 News articles
     3-15-07 State eases at risk aid restrictions & 25% members of NJ Senate retiring (so far)
     3-12-07 This article tells you why you cannot get easy access to legislator votes on-line
     3-8-07 'Education Chief Revamps Department'
     3-1-07 Op Ed piece re 'Super' Superintendent in the CORE Plan
     3-1-07 Emerging Devil showing up in the details
     2-23-07 News Articles re Gov's Budget Proposal
     2-22-07 Gov's Budget Message Link & Related News Articles
     2-22-07 News articles re Governor's Budget Message this morning
     2-21-07 Associated Press 'Codey Affirms More State Aid'
     2-16 to 2-19 News Articles of Note
     2-20-07 Live from the Ledger on-line
     2-21-07 Associated Press - Codey Affrims More School Aid
     2-16 to 2-19 New Articles of Note
     2-15-07 'Parents get boost on special ed rights' Star Ledger
     2-12-07 State School Aid - needed to offset property taxes now
     2-8-07 Editorial - ' Progress, Trenton style'
     2-1-07 Turnpike for sale, Gov - need funding formula, more
     1-23-07 Tax Reform in Trenton?
     1-9-07 Countywide Pilot Program and County 'Super' Superintendent bills held again yesterday, Jan 22 next probable vote date scheduled for these bills
     1-8-07 Articles & Editorial talk about 'missing pieces' of tax reform proposal and note consequences
     1-5-07 Small-town officials protest consolidation
     1-4-07 Gov Corzine & legislative leaders agree on 4% hard cap tied to sliding scale rebates (20% max on down)
     1-3-07 GSCS Member ALERT 'County School bills' fastracked again
     12-19-06 Feedback - articles on school funding heaings yesterday
     12-18-06 Sunday editorials - take of Property Tax session
     12-14-06 Trenton News articles
     11-15-06 The Special Session Jt Committee Reports
     11-19-06 Sunday Press Articles & Commentaries
     11-16-06 Property Tax Proposal news articles
     11-14-06 Direction of Special Session Report Recommendations starting to leak into press articles
     11-13-06 Schools, property taxes fuel debates
     11-11-06 New school funding plan could add $1 billion in aid
     11-10-06 NJ education chief vows urban support
     11-4-06 Senate President & Assembly Speaker 'no new taxes'
     11-1-06 Gannett 'Halved property tax called unrealistic'
     10-31-06 The Record - Property Tax Cut Debated
     10-30-06 NY Times
     10-21-06 Education Data Study Released - how the news is being reported
     10-20-06 Education - study data released
     10-5-06 Conversation on school funding, consolidation continues
     9-25-06 Savings Little -Costs at merged schools similar
     9-20-06 Coverage of the benefits & School Funding Jt Comm hearings 9-19-06
     9-18-06 News Articles re Special Session
     9-15-06 Star Ledger - 3.25B suggested for school construction
     9-7-06 The Record Local Govts Poised to save as co-pays rise
     9-7-06 News re Jt Comm on Consolidation & Shared Services mtg 9-5
     9-6-06 Articles re Jt Comm Hearing yesterday & related school news
     9-4-06 Weekend news articles of note
     8-29-06 School Funding to be reviewed today
     8-29-06 Assoc Press - School Funding to be reviewd today
     8-29-06 Hopewell Valley article re - courtesy busing withdrawal
     8-26-06 'N.J.'s best schools in wealthiest, northern towns'
     8-23-06 Crowd assails changes to state health plan
     8-23-06 Live from the Ledger on-line
     8-20-06 AP 'Property Tax reform bid to shift to overdrive'
     8-22-06 Star Ledger Column & NY Times Editorial
     8-14-06 News Clips
     8-9-06 Special Session Jt Comm on Consolidation of Govt Services meeting 8-8-06
     8-9-06 article re today's Jt Comm on Public Employee Benfits Reform
     8-8-06 NY Times Public Pension Plans Face Billions in Shortage
     7-25-06 Associated Press Prop Tax Q & A
     7-18-06 Live from the Ledger
     7-16-06 (thru 7-21-06) Bergen Record series investigate cost of NJ public services & property tax link
     7-16-06 Bergen Record series investigate cost of NJ public services & property tax link
     7-12-06 Column on State Budget legislator items
     7-12-06 Statehouse starts talking specifics about property tax reform
     7-13-06 Articles - Property tax issues, teacher salaries, voucher suit filing
     6-30-06 State Budget news - as the dissonance must be resolved
     6-29-06 Mirroring the elements, State Budget looking like a 'natural disaster'
     6-25-06 State Budget issues: legislative branches conflict - news articles
     6-21-06 Star Ledger - Washington DC Bureau re graduation rates & quality education
     6-20-06 News articles re State Budget FY07
     6-15-06 Star Ledger, Gannet articles- Abbott advocates demand school reform at educ. dept
     6-14-06 Assembly Minority Budget Leader Joe Malone's Op Ed
     Editorial on benefit of using UEZ surplus for spec educ aid for this year
     6-12-06 News Clips
     Weekend News Clips re Property Tax & School Funding issues
     6-9-06 Star Ledger ' Salary review bill hits roadblock'
     6-7-06 News Articles re Leg Summer Session work on Property Taxes
     6-6-06 Star Ledger re Special Summer Session
     6-5-06 Editorials on school funding & State Budget articles
     6-1-06 Star Ledger Thursday article on GSCS Annl Mtg
     5-30-06 News Articles
     5-21-06 Sunday Courier Post on Schools' hiring
     5-23-06 News Articles
     5-23-06 AP 'Codey to propose school ballott change'
     5-14-06N Y Times 'For school budgets the new word is NO'
     5-17-06 Trenton Times - School Aid, budget dominate forum
     5-16-06 News fromTrenton
     5-10-06 A Lot is going on - Major News fromTrenton
     News articles re even less state revenue & SCI scapegoating
     5-5-06 News articles Gannett and Courier Post
     One example of schools consolidating services
     4-16-06 Courier Post
     4-16-06 Star Ledger editorial & article re Gov v. Abbott from 4-15-06
     4-16-06 Sunday NY Times Metro Section, front page
     40-16-06 Gannett & Asbury Park Press on School Budget election issues
     4-13-06 'Budget cap puts NJ schools on edge'
     4-7-07 The Record
     3-31-06 AP 'Budget idea puts onus on income taxes, businesses'
     3-28-06 NY Times re Texas school finance case
     3-25-06 Press of Atlantic City
     3-29-06 News Articles on State Budget testimony before the Assembly Budget Comm. yesterday in Collingswood
     3-29-06 News Articles on State Budget testimony in Collingswood 3-28-06
     3-10-06 Star Ledger 'Time is ripe for poorer districts to contribute.
     3-22-06 News Article sampling on Governor's Proposed FY07 Budget
     3-19-06 Millville, Vineland may lose Abbott status
     3-19-06 Sunday News Articles on State Budget
     3-15-06 News articles on FY07
     3-15-06 NY Times 'Crisis at School Agency Reflects Missteps'
     3-10-06 News articles GSCS related issues
     3-7-06 More articles on the Gov's Budget Summit and School Board members fo to Trenton
     2-14-06 TrentonTimes Letter to the Editor on school construction
     2-11-06 Trenton Timesn'NJ State Budget has little wiggle room'
     2-9-06 Star Ledger School agency reformers discuss goals, problems
     2-10-06 Star Ledger editorial re void of credible & useful data at Department of Education
     FUNDING HISTORY - May 27 1998 - Education Week article re Abbott V - funding above parity
     1-26-06 New York Times article re public schools fundraising for private support
     1-25-06 Star Ledger 'School District's Woes Point to Rising Tax Resistance'
     1-24-06 Asbury Park Press 'Funding sparks heated debate'
     1-15-06 Sunday Star Ledger front page on Property Taxes
     1-12-06 Star Ledger 'Lawmaker pushes tax relief plan'
     1-12-06StarLedger 'Lawmaker pushes his tax relief plan'
     1-11-06 Star Ledger - Corzine Casts Wide Net for Cabinet
     1-6 thru 1-9-06 articles on Lameduck session and School Construction
     1-5-06 Monmouth county article on S1701 ramifications,examples - hitting hard at home
     1-1-06 Press of Atlantic City
     12-30-05 School Construction and Education Funding news clips
     12-20-05 Star Ledger on NJ Supreme Court decision on stalled school construction
     12-20-05 Star Ledger 'Schools lower the heat and risk a backlash'
     12-20-05 Star Ledger
     12-20-05 The Record 'Where Will the Bills End?' NJ Supreme Court releases its opinion on stalled school construction program.
     12-14-05 Asbury ParkPress Editorial 'Re-assess the ABC's of School Funding' notes the Governor's role is critical to make positive change
     12-16-05 Star Ledger Schools may end courtesy busing, tied to S1701 budget stressors
     12-16-05 News articles of note
     Trenton Times 6-25-05 State Budget FY06 and Democrat Tensions
     Activists Hope to Revive School Funding Issue
     12-15-05 Star Ledger School bond plans get resounding 'no'
     Time Magazine
     12-10-05 Star Ledger Schools might get heating help as bill gains on spending caps
     On Star Ledger
     12-8-05 Asbury Park Press Mom takes up the torch for school funding
     12-5-05 Governor-elect Corzine selects policy advisory groups
     11-28-05 Star Ledger 'It's Lame-duck time in Trenton'
     11-20-05 Sunday Star Ledger 'Corzine's risky promise to taxpayers
     The Record 11-18-05 Corzine's tax fix to mean 'pain'
     11-17-05 Trenton Times 'Education Chief announces testing overhaul'
     11-15-05 N Y Times article
     11-13-05 Star Ledger Sunday front page 'Blueprint for 6 Billion Dollar Boondagle
     11-14-05 The Record Herb Jackson on Whitman experience a lesson for Corzine
     11-11-05 Trenton Times Corzine puts property taxes at the top of his agenda
     11-9-05 The Record - Governor Elect can't claim a mandate
     Assoc. Press NJ 6-10-05 Codey Brokering Deal on Tax Convention
     Gubernatorial Candidates' Education Plans announced September 05
     November 9 The Trenton Times - Corzine Triumphs
     November 7 YOUR VOTE TOMORROW COUNTS ... Some news articles worth reading
     11-4-05 Star Ledger State Board of Education calls for revamping school funding
     10-23-05 Sunda Star Ledger article on how property taxes work
     10-4-05 Trenton Times NJ may replenish school building fund.
     10-16-05 Sunday Star Ledger & Gannet news articles on gubernatorial candidates take on important issues related to public education issues
     10-19-05 Courier Post-Gannett article on Gubernatorial Debate
     Groups Seek Attention from Candidates 10-12-05
     10-6-05 and 10-12-05 Forrester v. Corzine, Corzine v. Forrester articles
     10-4-05 Trenton Times School Construction fund may be replenished
     9-29-05 Star Ledger 'NJ in hole for $53M after vote on school funds promised for construction
     9-26-05 Star Ledger School Construction Making the Grade is Now Up to the Voters
     9-22-05 Some news articles on the press conference - Gannett and Star Ledger
     9-23-05 Star Ledger School Construction on next Tuesday's bond referenda
     9-12-05 Associated Press Rutgers initiates new education institute
     9-9-05 Trenton Times,Corzine Education Agenda
     9-9-05 Asbury Park Press Corzine plans 25M education agenda
     Star Ledger 9-9-05 Soaring gas costs result in towns asking for cap relief
     Star Ledger 8-31-05: Though few, new schools open doors for kids
     8-19-05 Head of School Construction Agency Resigns Abruptly, Compounding Agency Turmoil
     Trenton Times 8-12-05 School funding sought
     Star Ledger Front Page 8-16-02 School districts run for school construction aid
     Herb Jackson Column 7-18-05 Budget 'cuts' more a case of creative math
     Herb Jackson Column 7-18-05 Budget 'cuts' more a case of creative math
     The Record 'get's it' Read Editorial 7-14-05
     Star Ledger 7-13-05 Codey Puts Constitutional Convention on Hole
     The Record7-10-05 Sunday Front Page Must Read
     Star Ledger 7-7-05 Local school officials told state may not provide promised construction funding
     The Record 7-3-05 State Budget Doles Out Money
     The Record 7-4-05 Rebates safe, but tax problem not nearer solution
     The Check it out - Press of Atlantic City 7-6-05 Education Funds lie in Budget Fine Print
     Star Ledger 7-2-05 Late Night Budget Passes
     The Record 7-2-05 State Budget Passes
     Gannet 7-2-05 State Budget and School Aid
     Asbury Park Press 6-28-05 Senate Passes $20M for 5 school districts
     Philadelphia Inquirer 6-30-05 Dueling Budgets Will Miss Deadline
     Asbury Park Press 6-30-05 No Consensus in Trenton on Spending Plan
     Trenton Times 6-30-05 School Construction Review Panel Formed
     Star Ledger 6-30-05 State Budget Finale on Hold
     Star Ledger 6-29-05 Bid to Save Tax Rebates Imperils NJ Budget
     The Record 6-29-05 Tax Plan Quitely Dying
     Trenton Times 6-25-05 State Budget and Democrat Tensions
     Star Ledger 6-17-05 Seniors want tax convention, Senate prefers Special Session
     050618 Press of Atlantic City 'Activists Look to Revisit School Funding Issue
     6-16-05 Philadelphia Inquirer Commission Librera Releases Abbott Designation Report
     Star Ledger 6-4-05 GSCS Annual Meeting Forrester & Schundler
     Assoc. Press NJ 6-10-05 Codey Brokering Deal on Tax Convention
     Star Ledger 6-14-05 Legislators Assail School Building Agency at Hearing
     Star Ledger 6-13-05 Legislators Assail School Construction Corp
     Trenton Times 6-10-05 Rebate Debate on Budget for FY06
     Star Ledger June 3 2005 Advance article, Annual Meeting noted
     Gannet on Annual Meeting 6-4-05 Forrester, Schundler Address School Concerns
     Gannet on Annual Meeting 6-4-05 Candidates Address School Concerns
     Assocated Press, In the Homestrech Forrester and Schundler Talk Education
     Class Sizes Disappoint Glen Ridge Parents
     SCC reforms underway 'Jump Starting the Effort to build New Schools' Star Ledger May26 2005.
     Trenton Times 5-24-05 Codey Plans for Less Pain in Budget
     Preliminary School Election Results from NJ Dept of Education
     Jersey Journal article
     State Health Benefit Plan Star Ledger 4-8-05
     Taxes, ire both on rise
     NJ lawmakers want the state to join education law protest
     Panel Tells of Referenda Woes
     GSCS Parent Leader Molly Emiliani-Livingston & GSCS Director Lynne Strickland present to Pennsylvania Bucks County
     Hopewell valley School Board Approves $63M Budget
     Schools will seek Extra Funding
     Rebate Panic
     Lack of funds amid surplus of concerns
     Enrollment Dip Hurts Special Schools
     Costly School Site Fiasco Spurs Assembly Measure
     Teacher Seeks Family to Fight Abbott Rulings
     Panel OKs Constitutional Convention on Tax Reform
     Jersey Halts New Pacts for School Construction
     Schools Face Enrollment, Aid Dilemma
     Cut is sought in Abbott District Aid
     Local News - Cuts plentiful in NJ budget proposal
     Amid probe, agency to cut school costs
     Acting governor faces tough sledding on deficit
     Parents Give Cody an Earful
     Courier Post Online
     Article Mt Laurel GSCS Summit 2-10-05
     Bill to loosen school budgets altered
     WNBC Interview
     Educators urge parents to fight school spending cap
     Assembly Panel Weighs Plan for a Property Tax Convention
     Tax-reform debate takes sharp turn
     School funding plan gets OK from panel
     Legislature Acts to Revamp School Spending Caps
     Educators to Argue for Repeal of Cap Law
     State must devise tests to comply with No Child Left Behind
11-16-06 Property Tax Proposal news articles
11-16-06 Gannett Bureau-Asbury Park Press,Courier Post et al Property tax relief plans leave questions unanswered – “…School advocates, however, clamored for more detail…."It's a tease. We'd like to see more information," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, a group of mostly suburban districts. Roberts said the full formula likely won't be ready until early next year. He expects to need up to $800 million to help pay for added school funding.

The RECORD - Special interests to attack reforms Thursday, November 16, 2006

“…Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, said her members have grown frustrated that legislators are providing so few details on funding education despite the release of Wednesday's 132-page report...She added that legislators in the past have failed to keep their promises on funding education..."

Property tax plan would hurt Abbotts Legislative committees suggestions also include raising the retirement age for state employees 11-15-06 PRESS of A.C.

11-16-06 PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY - Tax ideas fall short on funding reforms

Officials hungry for specifics on tax relief proposals Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/16/06

11-16-06 Gannett Property tax relief plans leave questions unanswered – “…School advocates, however, clamored for more detail…."It's a tease. We'd like to see more information," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, a group of mostly suburban districts. Roberts said the full formula likely won't be ready until early next year. He expects to need up to $800 million to help pay for added school funding.

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/16/06 BY JONATHAN TAMARI GANNETT STATE BUREAU – Gannett Bureau articles are published in: •Asbury Park Press • Gannett State Bureau • Courier News • Courier-Post • The Daily Journal • Daily Record • Home News Tribune • Ocean County Observer • Times Beacon Newspapers

TRENTON — A sweeping set of recommendations aimed at easing New Jersey's property taxes includes bold plans ranging from 20 percent tax credits to capping tax hikes and revamping the way the state pays for schools. But the proposals, released Wednesday, left many questions unanswered and interest groups searching for winners and losers.

The proposals, delivered in four reports that total 561 pages and 98 recommendations, include banning dual office holding and increasing state spending on education, with a focus on preschool and kindergarten programs across the state. Many recommendations, such as cutting pension benefits for future state workers, raising their retirement age from 55 to 62 and creating a commission to recommend municipal mergers, had been widely publicized in recent days.

One of many plans to check education spending, which makes up the bulk of property tax bills, would give a line-item budget veto to county school superintendents appointed by the governor. But many key details — such as who would get the 20 percent credits and how to pay for the ambitious ideas — remain to be hammered out by the Legislature and Gov. Jon S. Corzine. Democratic Party leaders promised swift action and said many measures could be approved by Christmas. "This is a historic day in New Jersey," said Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. Roberts said the plans would provide "substantial" relief to help deal with rising bills and "lasting" reforms to ensure that any gains are not short-lived. "The reports we received today will be our playbook for implementing legislation that will make these reforms real and sustainable," Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, said. Republicans, however, questioned how the state can pay for the plans. "Too often in the past we have had property tax proposals that have not been sustainable over time," said Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, R-Hunterdon.

William Dressel Jr., executive director of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, worried tax credits could be a "flash in the pan" like previous relief plans that ballooned at first but dwindled as budget crunches consumed state resources. "There's questions after questions after questions," Dressel said. The 20 percent credit, for example, will be weighted by income, but no one could provide a breakdown of costs or a scale for who would qualify for the breaks.

Democratic staffers said the credits would target low- and moderate-income homeowners and the report said credits should go to "as many taxpayers as resources allow." "We need to pay attention to those who need it the most," Roberts said. The ban on holding more than one office would "grandfather" in officials who currently hold two or more elected offices, but how long that grace period would last is yet to be determined.

The plan to revamp school funding — a key piece of reform — mostly consists of guiding principles that call for sending money to schools based on community wealth and the needs of children, with extra emphasis for low-income students or pupils with disabilities or limited English skills. Areas with more senior-citizens would also receive additional funding. Officials expect the plan to end the divisive distinctions between the 31 poor, urban school districts that receive more than half of state aid and other schools whose funding has been stagnant. "The state must ensure that all children, irrespective of their address, have the financial support to achieve success," the report on school funding said.

School advocates, however, clamored for more detail. "It's a tease. We'd like to see more information," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, a group of mostly suburban districts. Roberts said the full formula likely won't be ready until early next year. He expects to need up to $800 million to help pay for added school funding.

Democrats are counting on $700 million a year from the recent sales tax increase to help fund their plans. Money from the existing homeowner rebate program, will provide about $330 million for the credits, according to Democratic staffers. How much more is needed is unclear, although some estimates have said the reforms could cost $3 billion.

Codey has backed plans to sell a state asset, such as the New Jersey Turnpike or state lottery, to help pay for the relief, but Roberts said Wednesday that any such money should be used for paying down the state debt. That, in turn, would free up annual debt payments for other programs.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine is expected to make his first extensive comments on the plans today in Atlantic City. He backed many of the ideas included in the reports in a July speech, including a 4 percent cap on local property tax hikes. Lynn Maher, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Education Association, said the plans place an undue burden on teachers after state lawmakers created a fiscal crisis. "We're going to fiercely oppose many of the proposals," Maher said. "Many of them are blatantly unfair to school employees."

The plans to increase oversight of schools include moving school board elections to November, when more voters take part, and increasing the transparency of school budgets and the pay packages for top school officials. Jonathan Tamari: jtamari@gannett.com

Special interests to attack reforms
Thursday, November 16, 2006



“…Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, said her members have grown frustrated that legislators are providing so few details on funding education despite the release of Wednesday's 132-page report.

"They're becoming more cynical, which is not really healthy for the system," Strickland said of those educators her group represents. She added that legislators in the past have failed to keep their promises on funding education.

Strickland said she suspects that legislators have been mum when it comes to numbers because in the end some districts are likely to lose money.

"They know there will be some losers and they are going to try to put that off," Strickland said...”




AP FILE PHOTO

Governor Corzine ran on a platform of reducing property taxes.

Herald News: State GOP has its doubts

Legislators met their deadline Wednesday to deliver a plan to rein in New Jersey's highest-in-the-nation property taxes, leading some of the state's most powerful special interest lobbies to launch campaigns to shape or outright block some of the 98 proposals.

The three most politically charged – and expensive – measures were short on specifics, leaving room for legislators and lobbyists alike to maneuver. Unions, local officials, teachers, government contractors and others are concerned that the proposals will cut jobs, trim benefits, shortchange government services and reduce their bargaining power.

Most residential property owners would get an immediate 20 percent credit on their property tax bills, legislators promised. State aid to public schools – now $10.3 billion a year – would be distributed under a new formula based on student needs. Local governments would have to cap spending increases at 4 percent.

New public employees would see fewer fringe benefits, and incoming lawmakers and political appointees would no longer be allowed to collect lucrative pensions. Local governments would be pressed to share services and even merge with neighbors.

FAST FACTS


• School and municipal spending increases would be capped at 4 percent.

• The school-aid formula would be dramatically overhauled.

The four special legislative committees that issued the reports will meet next week to formally approve the recommendations. Many of the proposals are covered by bills introduced as part of earlier reform measures and could be voted on by the end of the year.

But specifics on the property tax credit, school funding formula and spending caps were left out of the more than 800 pages that offered everything from meeting minutes to summaries of e-mails to legislators by subject line.

"I have more questions than answers," said Bill Dressel, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities. He said lawmakers didn't address such factors as salaries for police and firefighters and health insurance that drive up property taxes.

"The issues that will put them eyeball to eyeball with unions and the real special interests that finance campaigns, they're not willing to do that," Dressel said.

Dressel said he would be forced to lobby lawmakers heavily to make sure municipalities are not shortchanged by a spending cap.

The union for public school teachers found several proposals that would help its members, but others that seemed troublesome, said Steven Baker of the New Jersey Education Association, the powerful teachers union. A proposed 4 percent cap on municipal and school budget increases could force towns and schools to hire fewer workers and potentially weaken their negotiating position during contract talks.

"We're looking at exactly what this means ... Absolutely, NJEA will be very active in lobbying to support the interests of public education," Baker said.

The largest state workers union, the Communications Workers of America, was mobilizing its members, telling them to call top legislative leaders to urge that they leave questions about the employee health benefits, holidays and pension to current contract talks with Governor Corzine's administration.

"We have unions here and we expect our rights to be respected," the CWA's Web site reads. "No legislation should go forward. You can't claim to believe in unions – and interfere with collective bargaining at the same time."

Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, D-Camden, proposed the 20 percent tax credit and said the details would be worked out.

"The reports we received today will be our playbook for implementing legislation that will make these reforms real and sustainable," Codey said.

Just the beginning

Many legislators acknowledged that the much-hyped reports were only the start of a job that began in July when Corzine ordered the Senate and Assembly to get to work on property taxes. The average New Jersey property tax bill is more than $6,000, and many suburban residents pay more than double that because the cost of education and local services has been rising more than 6 percent a year.

Corzine's office declined to speak directly on the recommendations. The governor is expected to address the issues today.

Also missing from the reports was any estimate the new programs would cost state taxpayers and how much property owners would save through the credit and other programs designed to cut costs.

The new school funding formula is expected to give more money to suburban school districts whose state aid has been frozen for years. This has resulted in higher tax bills for wealthy and middle-class residents while the state paid nearly all the expenses in 31 of New Jersey's poorest districts. Those districts, known as "Abbott" districts after a state Supreme Court ruling, would lose their special designation.

Democrats hope to use at least $700 million a year from increased sales taxes as well as more than $1 billion from the current property tax rebate program to pay for the tax credit.

Republican lawmakers estimated that changes to public worker benefits could save at least $800 million a year.

Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, said her members have grown frustrated that legislators are providing so few details on funding education despite the release of Wednesday's 132-page report.

"They're becoming more cynical, which is not really healthy for the system," Strickland said of those educators her group represents. She added that legislators in the past have failed to keep their promises on funding education.

Strickland said she suspects that legislators have been mum when it comes to numbers because in the end some districts are likely to lose money.

"They know there will be some losers and they are going to try to put that off," Strickland said.

Legislators who crafted the plan are promising that no schools would lose money under a new funding formula, but because there are so few details, many educators were wary.

In Garfield, Bergen County's only Abbott district, Assistant Superintendent Raymond Hryczyk expressed concern about any proposal that might cut funding. Garfield's $66 million school budget, $41 million comes from the state.

"With Abbott money, Garfield has been allowed to hire more teachers, reduce class sizes, update our textbooks and curriculum,'' he said. "It meant that new facilities could be built for the first time in over 50 years. Without the money, you would be doing a disservice to the community, and more importantly to the students and their future."

School funding

School board elections would be moved from April to November. Districts' spending plans under the state's cap would not be required to hold school budget votes. The governor would appoint 21 superintendents who would oversee school budgets and have the ability to veto district spending plans.

Public employee benefits

The retirement age would go from 55 to 62, and state workers would pay more for medical benefits.

Lawmakers will also review whether state workers should be eligible for 13 paid holidays. Dual public job holders would be required to base a pension on one job and cap the salary that can be used to calculate a pension, starting at $97,500.

Consolidating services

Create a consolidation commission that would help municipalities share services while eliminating the barriers that hinder the process. Create a countywide system of property tax assessment and tie state aid to efficient municipal government. Authorize a pilot program that would study the consolidation of school administrations to a countywide system.

Staff Writers Leslie Brody, Jean Rimbach and Ruth Padawer contributed to this article. E-mail: mcalpin@northjersey.com and fasbach@northjersey.com

 

* * *

Property tax reform

Lawmakers unveiled almost 100 ideas designed with the eventual goal of lowering New Jersey's notorious property taxes. Here's a look at some additional recommendations.

SCHOOL FUNDING

• Eliminate special designation given to 31 poor, city school districts.

• Treat all school districts the same, with consideration given to special needs students, transportation costs and how many senior citizens live in a district.

• No immediate cuts in school aid, but increases for many districts.

• Capping school district spending.

• Restricting travel and perks for school superintendents.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS

• Maintain property tax breaks for senior and disabled citizens and veterans.

• Cap annual property tax increases.

• Maintain requirement that businesses and homes be taxed and assessed the same way.

• Revise farmland tax breaks to recoup more money when farmland is sold for development.

GOVERNMENT CONSOLIDATION

• Form independent commission to annually recommend which municipalities should be merged.

• Create powerful county superintendents with authority over local school spending.

• Move fire and school elections to November and eliminate votes on budgets within caps.

• Make it easier for municipalities to share municipal courts and emergency call answering.

• Allow municipalities to coordinate purchasing to avoid duplication.

PUBLIC EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

• Require all employees to contribute to health care costs.

• Eliminate publicly funded pensions for new part-time legislators, employees and appointed officials.

• Ban people from holding more than one elected office.

 

School-funding reform report lacks numbers

By DIANE D'AMICO Education Writer, (609) 272-7241
(Published: November 16, 2006)

“…(In the report) They talk a lot about the past, but not enough about the future and what (formula details) they might actually be proposing, said Lynne Strickland, director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, which represents suburban districts…”

One big thing is missing from the state Public School Funding reform report released Wednesday: an actual formula to reform school funding.

There's not a lot of detail, said David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center, which represents children in the 31 poor, urban Abbott districts.

At 136 pages, the Joint Legislative Committee on Public School Reform's report gives 28 recommendations offering general ideas, but no specifics about how much state aid school districts would get.

The recommendations seem to offer something for everyone. Recommendation 7 calls for a minimum amount of state aid to every school district. Recommendation 6 calls for a hold harmless provision to ensure no district loses money right away because of a new formula. Recommendations 27 and 28 call for state aid to expand preschool and full-day kindergarten in all districts.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine has asked for a formula by the end of the year. Sciarra and Strickland said they would support taking an extra year to get it right rather than rushing to develop yet another flawed formula that will end up back in court.

It's like 1996 all over again, Sciarra said, referring to the process that generated the CEIFA school funding formula. If the process to get the formula is not credible, the core is flawed.

The Comprehensive Educational Improvement and Financing Act was ruled unconstitutional for Abbott districts. But the major problem with CEIFA was not so much the formula itself, but that the state never fully funded it and totally ignored it for the past five years while doling out virtually flat state aid.

What does seem obvious from the recommendations is that to achieve them the state would have to spend more. Estimates have run as high as $1 billion in addition to the $10.3 billion already dedicated to various school-related costs.

The report divides the recommendations into two basic themes those that propose methods to calculate and allocate state aid, and those that call for controlling school spending.

The core of the funding recommendation is that money should be allocated for students, not districts. A base amount of aid would be given per student, with extra money added for special-education, at-risk students and limited-English students. The aid allocation also would be based on a district's wealth as calculated using both property values and income.

That plan would still give the Abbott districts a lot of money, even if, as recommended, they lose the special title of Abbott. But it also would mean that many other poor and middle-class districts would get more aid, and even the wealthiest districts would get some aid.

State Department of Education officials last month presented a proposal that estimated base aid using 2004-05 figures at $8,000 to $8,500 per student. The committee asked the DOE to recalculate the proposal using more recent financial data, but that is not yet complete, officials said Wednesday.

On the accountability side, the report calls for more spending caps and state monitoring. A state consolidation report also calls for one county to serve as a pilot countywide school district. That report also recommends an expanded role for existing county superintendents.

The New Jersey School Boards Association came out in support of extra state aid and expanded preschool, but expressed concern about some of the proposed spending caps, a proposal to move school board elections to November and expanded powers for county superintendents.

The complete report is online at www.njleg.state.nj.us

Property tax plan would hurt Abbotts
Legislative committees suggestions also include raising the retirement age for state employees
By PETE McALEER Statehouse Bureau, (609) 292-4935
(Published: November 15, 2006)

 

“…Gov. Jon S. Corzine said he supports the additional aid and the property tax relief but wants more details on how those initiatives can be funded in a way that is affordable and sustainable. He said the current school funding formula is “broken.”
“It should be focused on the needs of children and not geographic districts or zip codes,” Corzine said…”

TRENTON — The elimination of special funding for poorer urban school districts, new constitutionally mandated limits on property-tax increases and an increase in the retirement age for state employees are among the recommendations lawmakers are expected to make today when they present the findings of a four-month special session devoted to lowering property taxes.

The recommendations —from four legislative committees — will be used to draft a series of bills that lawmakers will vote on in December.
The key proposal, announced last week by legislative leaders in both houses, will be a 20 percent reduction in property-tax bills paid for by the state as a tax credit. The reduction would be paid for, in part, by eliminating the current rebate program and adding half the proceeds from a sales-tax increase adopted in July. State Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, has also said that leasing state toll roads is another possible funding source.

New Jersey property taxes are the highest in the nation and have increased at a rate of 7 percent per year in the past decade. The average resident pays $6,000 annually. The 20 percent credit would slash that average to $4,380.

State officials are also reworking a school-funding formula that has gone ignored through five years of frozen state aid to schools. Lawmakers are expected to recommend scrapping special funding for the state’s 31 urban special needs districts, known as Abbott Districts, and instead allocating funding strictly on a per pupil basis.

Abbott districts – established as part of a state Supreme Court ruling that found education in city schools inadequate and unconstitutional – will get 57.6 percent of state school aid for 2006-07, while representing 23 percent of the students. Instead of cutting aid to Abbott Districts, the plan is to bring other school districts in line by adding $1 billion in school aid.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine said he supports the additional aid and the property tax relief but wants more details on how those initiatives can be funded in a way that is affordable and sustainable. He said the current school funding formula is “broken.”
“It should be focused on the needs of children and not geographic districts or zip codes,” Corzine said.

Assemblyman Frank Blee, R-Atlantic, said the state could withstand a potential court challenge if it establishes a funding formula based on the average per-pupil spending of 12 school districts identified by the Department of Education as top-performing districts. He outlined his plan in a four-page letter sent on Nov. 8 to Education Commissioner Lucille E. Davy.

“If you look at the best performing schools, it’s not always the biggest spenders,” Blee said. “I believe we should do away with classifications and put together a realistic per-pupil cost and fund every child in the state accordingly. This can best be achieved by using the average per-pupil costs of the best performing school districts, as performance was always the criteria required by the courts.”
School funding was the focus of one of the four legislative committees.

The chairs of a committee that dealt with the public employee pension system will recommend increasing the retirement age from 55 to 62, requiring new employees to contribute to health care costs and requiring pensions to be based on one public job. Those ideas were recommended more than a year ago by a panel formed by Senate President Codey. In the past two months, state Sen. Bill Gormley, R-Atlantic and Assemblyman Kevin O’Toole, R-Bergen, Passaic, Essex, have pressured the committee to include all three of those measures.

The committee is expected also to recommend eliminating public pensions for new lawmakers and appointed officials.
A committee formed to explore the idea of merging local governments and sharing services will recommend forming an independent commission to recommend which municipalities should merge. The plan would be modeled after the federal panel that determined which military bases should close.
A fourth committee, designed to examine constitutional issues, will recommend a constitutionally mandated four-percent limit on local property-tax increases.

Assemblyman Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, said the first order of business should be immediate property-tax relief. “Do we need to straighten out school funding? Yes.” Whelan said. “Certainly, we should not be freezing aid to school districts and municipalities. But I think you start with the premise of getting money to go into the pockets of property owners.”

To e-mail Pete McAleer at The Press:PMcAleer@pressofac.com

 

11-16-06 PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY -

Tax ideas fall short on funding reforms

By PETE McALEER Statehouse Bureau, (609) 292-4935)

“…The 400 pages of reports released Wednesday included plans for a new school funding formula but no details. Lawmakers want to remove the Abbott designation assigned to 31 urban districts. The change would not cut funding for Abbott districts or any other school district at least not immediately but the funding formula would be revised to take into account the number of students in each district with extra weight given to students with special needs.

Assemblyman David Wolfe, R-Ocean, Monmouth, said no details were given about how the school funding plan would work or how it would be funded. …At best it as a one-year fix, Wolfe said. And while they attempt to eliminate the Abbott designation, the bottom line is that these districts will continue to receive funding at their current levels despite documented evidence that millions of dollars are routinely wasted….

Democratic Party officials said the Department of Education is still working on a new school funding formula and the final product could be months away. …Still, Roberts said, eliminating the Abbott designation is a significant step because “it acknowledges some of the most distressed districts are suburban districts whose funding have been held static…”

TRENTON  New Jersey Democrats presented 98 recommendations for lowering property taxes Wednesday, calling for unprecedented tax credits, a richer and more equitable school-funding formula and a revamped public employee pension system that politicians would no longer be able to abuse.

Now comes the hard part  figuring out exactly how to pay for it all.

The highlight of the package, or at least the proposal voters likely will find most immediately gratifying, is a tax credit that would lower property taxes by an average of 20 percent for most homeowners. The plan also would increase school aid by $1 billion, including funding for preschool and after-school care.

Republicans questioned how the state could afford such changes, given that the list of recommendations did not include any limits on state spending or a prohibition on debt not approved by voters.

“The problem is sustainability,” said Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, R-Warren, Hunterdon. “That's been the historic problem with property-tax reform in New Jersey.

“We don't want this to be a one-year thing to give the majority party re-election.”

Democrats insist this effort, the result of 41 legislative hearings held since August, is different than past attempts to tackle the issue.

“This special session (of the Legislature) exceeded my expectations because it was so thorough and it focused in such a detailed way on all of the cost-drivers associated with property taxes,” said Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr., D-Camden, Gloucester. “This may be the most ambitious package of reforms to tackle property taxes in New Jersey history.”

Homeowners pay an average of $6,000 in property taxes annually, a rate double the national average. The decision to freeze school aid in each of the past five years has driven a 7 percent annual increase in property-tax rates.

Property-tax rebates have been provided to help lessen the burden, but the size of the checks has fluctuated dramatically with each budget year.

Democrats are proposing to replace the rebate checks with credits of equal or greater value, although senior citizens would be able to request a check instead of the credit for at least the first year. Another $700 million in property tax relief funding would come from a sales tax increase approved in July. How much of a gap remains after that will depend on exactly how many homeowners receive an increased tax credit.

“The relief plan that we come up with is going to be focused on those bearing the biggest property tax burden,” Roberts said. “We have to determine the cut-offs.”

That's just one of the details that need to be worked out as lawmakers attempt to turn the 98 recommendations into legislation.

The 400 pages of reports released Wednesday included plans for a new school funding formula but no details. Lawmakers want to remove the “Abbott” designation assigned to 31 urban districts. The change would not cut funding for Abbott districts or any other school district — at least not immediately — but the funding formula would be revised to take into account the number of students in each district with extra weight given to students with special needs.

Assemblyman David Wolfe, R-Ocean, Monmouth, said no details were given about how the school funding plan would work or how it would be funded.

“At best it as a one-year fix,” Wolfe said. “And while they attempt to eliminate the Abbott designation, the bottom line is that these districts will continue to receive funding at their current levels despite documented evidence that millions of dollars are routinely wasted.”

Democratic Party officials said the Department of Education is still working on a new school funding formula and the final product could be months away.

Still, Roberts said, eliminating the Abbott designation is a significant step because “it acknowledges some of the most distressed districts are suburban districts whose funding have been held static.”

Also not yet decided is whether to place limits on property tax increases. Gov. Jon S. Corzine has called for a 4 percent cap.

Corzine will give his response to the Legislature's proposal — and offer some of his own ideas — during a speech at noon today before the League of Municipalities Convention at the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel.

The event, attended by mayors from throughout the state, will also give local officials a chance to voice their opinions on the Legislature's proposals. Many declined comment Wednesday, but there were a few immediate reactions.

Ocean City Mayor Sal Perillo said he was disappointed that the proposals focused more on local spending than state spending and questioned how the state would afford the plan.

He said the plan seemed to provide more revenue for next year at the expense of future years.

“In terms of meaningful reform, there are more questions than answers,” Perillo said.

Buena Vista Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello called the proposals a “bold move” and a “good step forward,” but acknowledged concerns about how much input local officials will have on plans to get local governments to consolidate and share services.

“The bottom line is you have to start someplace,” Chiarello said.

One of the committee recommendations sets up a nine-member panel — similar to the federal Base Relocation and Closure Commission — that would put out an annual list of municipalities that should merge or share services. Any merger plans or shared services agreements would then be put before voters in those municipalities.

More than 40 of the recommendations came from a committee formed to control pension and health-benefit costs that help drive up property taxes.

Under the recommendations, a two-tier pension system would make a 9 percent pension increase approved five years ago unavailable to new employees. Public pensions would be eliminated for new part-time legislators, new appointed officials and all professional service contractors, both existing and future.

The committee also recommended raising the retirement age from 55 to 62 for new employees and a limit of one pension per public employee. Pensionable salary would be capped at $97,500. Holding more than one public office would also be banned, although current dual officeholders would be grandfathered.

State Sen. Bill Gormley, R-Atlantic, and Assemblyman Kevin O'Toole, R-Bergen, Passaic, Essex — both of whom spearheaded several of the pension reforms — signed on to support the committee's recommendations. They were the only Republican committee members to do so. Yet both lawmakers said many of the committee's recommendations fell short by failing to include current employees.

“Why would you change something you said is wrong and then grandfather someone in?” Gormley said. “They should just end dual office holding now … But we're not going to say they're wrong on everything. We're balanced.”

Union officials were less in the mood for compromise. Carla Katz, president of the Communications Workers of America local 1034, said the efforts to prevent abuse and limit pensions to career employees were laudable, but lawmakers were out of line to propose legislation requiring health-care contributions when unions are currently negotiating a new contract.

“We think it's outrageous that a huge part of the property tax proposals are slashing the retirement security of workers who are also property taxpayers in New Jersey,” Katz said, adding that a two-tier system would have a demoralizing effect on the state work force.

Assemblyman Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic — who would benefit from two pensions as a teacher and the former mayor of Atlantic City — said he does not agree with some of the “blanket” changes to the state's pension laws but likely would vote for the package anyway.

“I'm not going to say one pension, one job,” Whelan said. “What if somebody is a cop for 30 years and retires and they teach for 25 years? And are we going to say police officers can't retire until they're 62. Frankly, you shouldn't be 60 years old chasing after bad guys down alleys. But if on balance it's a package that makes sense, I'll support it.”

Staff writers Derek Harper and Tom Barlas contributed to this report

Officials hungry for specifics on tax relief proposals

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/16/06

BY GREGORY J. VOLPE
GANNETT STATE BUREAU

ATLANTIC CITY — As details emerged Wednesday about the state's plans to address rising property taxes, the common refrain among the thousands of local, county and state officials attending the annual New Jersey State League of Municipalities conference was: What will it cost, where will the money come from, and for how long?

Officials, some skeptical that this will be the plan that delivers sorely needed relief to their constituents, who pay the highest property taxes in the nation, wanted more details on how it will work.

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, R-Morris, was most blunt: "I think it's a good ploy in an election year."

The entire Senate and Assembly is up for election in 2007.

Republicans questioned where the funding will come from, especially since in the program's first year the state will be able to use two years' worth of increased sales tax revenue — money set aside this year but not used, plus money collected next year.

Some questioned whether government consolidation would ever happen.

"I think some of the ideas have merit. The implementation is where we will have difficulties," said Medford Mayor Lisa Post, who said her township could be a possible merger target with Medford Lakes. "You can give somebody something, but it's hard to take it away."

Some who represent urban districts feared the new school funding formula would take resources away from the soon-to-be defunct Abbott districts.

"There's always been a movement to cut funding from urban schools," said Sen. Ronald L. Rice, D-Essex.

Sen. Joseph V. Doria Jr., D-Hudson, who is also the Bayonne mayor, said that the plan would not cost Abbott districts money and that the yet-to-be-determined funding formula would use revenue from the increased sales tax and elimination of property tax rebates to boost funding for middle-class districts.

"We're just doing away with the designation; we're still doing the funding," Doria said.

Some wondered why lawmakers would rule out a citizens' constitutional convention when it's unknown whether the proposals will be approved by the Legislature or succeed in lowering the state's reliance on property taxes.

Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli, D-Gloucester, said the committee dealing with constitutional issues didn't see the need for a convention but that the idea might resurface if the proposals don't work.