Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

 
     1-12-10 Moving on...'Budget plan a wrinkle for districts'
     1-11-10 Transition News
     1-5-10 GSCS: Update on January 4 Lame Duck Session
     1-6-10 Race to the Top Plans on the move, not without conflict
     12-27-09 'New Jersey competes for education reform stimulus money' (aka 'Race to the Top' funds)
     12-23-09 Gannett article provides details on Gov. Corzine's proposal to use additional surplus in place of state aid
     12-23-09 GSCS: Governor Corzine targets excess school surplus to replace state aid payments starting in Feb '10 - lame duck legislation anticipated
     10-20-09 REMINDER: Commissioner Davy to be at 10-28 GSCS meeting in Atlantic City
     9-13-09 As an issue for N.J.(Gubernatorial election), schools are in'
     7-22-09 'State gives extra aid for schools an extraordinary boost'
     6-19-09 a.m. GSCS 'Quick' FYI - State Budget Vote delayed to Thursday, June 25
     6-16-09 News from Trenton on State Budget in Senate and Assembly Budget Committees yesterday
     APPROPRIATIONS ACT FY2009-1020 as introduced
     A4100-S2010 Appropriations Act 'Scoresheet' and Language Changes released
     6-10-09 Education Week on Abbott Decision
     6-9-09 COMMENTARY on Supreme Court Abbott school funding decisio
     5-27-09 GSCS 18th ANNUAL MEETING - All INVITED GUESTS HAVE CONFIRMED, INCLUDING GOVERNOR CORZINE
     5-19-09 Treasurer David Rousseau announces additional round of cuts to Gov's proposed State Budget FY2009-2010
     4-5-09 The Record, Sunday April 5, Front Page Opinion
     3-29-09 Record Editorial on Judge Doyne recommendations
     3-16-09 EMAILNET
     3-11-09 CORZINE BUDGET ADDRESS: STATE FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS A LITTLE MORE NOT LESS - FEDERAL TITLE 1 & IDEA INCREASES YET TO BE COUNTED - STATE SCHOOL AID FIGURES ON DEPT OF ED WEBSITE 1:30 TODAY - RELATED ARTICLES, MORE...
     3-10-09 GOVERNOR TO DELIVER STATE BUDGET MESSAGE TODAY - SCHOOL AID FIGURES TO BE RELEASED BY THURSDAY LATEST
     2-24-09 State Budget & Stimulus News of Note
     2-19-09 Federal stimulus - information re: Education funding in 'State Fiscal Stabilization' part of the package
     1-16-09 Today's news notes state budget waiting on Obama stimulus package
     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
     12-23-08 Governor faces hard choices in the New Year
     12-21-08 GSCS EMAILNET - Excerpts
     11-18-08 Ledger Online & 11-19 Star Ledger headline news
     11-18-08 Supreme Court decides in favor of Abbott districts re new school funding law
     11-5-08 Gov. Corzine U.S. Treasury Secretary?
     11-5-08 Governor Corzine candidate for Secretary of U.S. Treasury per Ledger report
     Conversation with the Commissioner in Atlantic City
     Education Commissioner Lucille Davy at GSCS Open Mtg 10-29 in A.C.
     9-24-08 Supreme Court hearing on constitutionality of School Funding Reform Act
     8-29-08 'Newly hired teachers benefit from Corzine delay'
     12-3-07 As details become clearer on the new funding plan, GSCS will report on its emerging position
     11-20-07 RELEASE OF NEW SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA LIKELY TO BE DELAYED UNTIL AFTER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
     11-16-07 Governor Corzine's remarks on school funding to League of Municipalities
     11-8-07 Governor & Legislative leadership agree to take up - and pass - funding formula in Lame Duck
     10-23 Media reports & Trenton responses to date re GSCS Press Conf
     9-29-07 The New York Times - Patience with Corzine Wears Thin
     10-10-07 Key Questions for Legislative Candidates
     10-12-07 Coach Corzine's tactic to win the game? Punt
     In the news - Corzine on school aid formula & good news for urban schools
     9-13-07Corzine adds school aid to the lame-duck agenda
     8-10-07 'Standing 'O' greets Corzine as he hosts town hall mtg'
     8-1-07 'Paterson isn't ready to gain control' & 7-29 'The Numbers still don't add up'
     4-4-07 News articles, editorial & Op-Ed on bill signings for A1 and A4
     3-25-07 New York Times on NJ Comparative Spending Guide, more on Gov putting off signing A1, Tax Caps & Rebate bill
     3-22-07 THINGS CHANGE...Governor Corzine delays A1 becoming law
     3-21-07 The Tax Cap-Credit bill, A1, can become law by Friday without Governor's signature
     3-1-07 Emerging Devil showing up in the details
     2-23-07 News Articles re Gov's Budget Proposal
     2-22-07 GSCS EMAILNET re Gov's Budget Message
     2-22-07 Governor Corzine's Budget Message today
     2-16 to 2-19 New Articles of Note
     2-14-07 GSCS letter to Gov Corzine & Commr of Education Davy - Request for State Aid FY0708
     2-12-07 State School Aid - needed to offset property taxes now
     2-9-07 GSCS EMAILNET MEMBER FYI on Trenton legislation Action
     2-8-07 News artiles-editorial re Gov's annoucnement that there will not be a new school funding formula for FY0708
     2-7-07 School funding, school audits - need for new formula underscored
     2-6-07 Trenton Update - S19 Super Supt passes Senate; Tax Cap bill stalled; No funding formula in FY0708
     2-1-07 Turnpike for sale, Gov - need funding formula, more
     1-30-07 'Is Property Tax Plan Legal?'
     1-30-07 Tax Caps bill, A1, passes Assembly late last night
     1-25-07 GSCS: No School Aid = No Real Tax Relief...again
     1-24-07 Quinnipiac Poll & School Construction woes for Corzine
     1-21-07 Gannett article on 'property tax credit, annual cap vote due'
     Trenton Update Jan 9-Jan 15, Gov's State of the State, more
     1-8-07 Articles & Editorial talk about 'missing pieces' of tax reform proposal and note consequences
     1-7-06 GSCS & HARD CAPS & IMPORTANT PIECES OF THE PUZZLE STILL MISSING
     GSCS RESOLUTION FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2007
     1-5-07 Small-town officials protest consolidation
     1-2-07 GSCS New Year's Resolution
     12-19-06 Feedback - articles on school funding hearings yesterday
     12-18-06 Sunday editorials - take of Property Tax session
     12-15-06 EMAILNET Bills Held!
     12-11-06 Trenton is in disarray - read news clip
     12-8 & 12-9 News clips on Trenton machinations...
     11-19-06 Sunday Press Articles & Commentaries
     11-16-06 Governor Corzine's speech on Property Tax Address to League of Municipalities
     11-10-06 NJ education chief vows urban support
     11-11-06 EMAILNET Special Session Legislative Committees report Nov. 14 or 15
     11-9-06 Public hearing on school consolidation tonight, 7 pm, at Freehold Borough Chambers, 51 Main St
     11-9-06 Public hearing on school consolidation tonight, 7 pm, in Freehold
     11-6-06 The need for special education funding to stay as a 'categorical' aid based on each students disability is real
     11-4-06 Senate President & Assembly Speaker 'no new taxes'
     10-25-06 Details on Corzine Administration's new funding formula starting to emerge
     10-5-06 EMAILNET
     10-5-06 Conversation on school funding, consolidation continues
     School Construction: Third Report to Governor by Interagency Working Group
     9-15-06 Star Ledger & AP - 3.25B suggested for school construction
     9-15-06 Star Ledger - 3.25B suggested for school construction
     August 2006 on - GSCS NOTEBOARD ON SPECIAL SESSION Committee meetings
     7-29-06 School Funding formula draws mixed reactions
     7-28-06 Gov to legislature: make history, cut taxes
     7-27-06 Trenton begins its move to address property taxes
     7-16-06 Lead economists address NJ's economy downswing
     7-12-06 Column on State Budget legislator items
     7-14-06 EMAILNET
     7-12-06 It's Official - Governor appoints Lucille Davy as Education Commissioner
     7-11-06 Talk of Special Session on Property Tax Reform
     7-9&10-06 State Budget news articles -wrap up & news analyses
     7-9-06 Sunday New York Times
     7-8-06 FY07 Budget approved - 19.5 in spec ed grants stays in
     7-7-06 EMAILNET - AGREEMENT ON STATE BUDGET REACHED, impt 'details' still being finalized
     7-7-06 AGREEMENT ON STAE BUDGET REACHED, impt 'details' still being finalized
     7-3-06 Roberts, Codey & Corzine still not on same page
     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'
     6-15-06 Star Ledger, Gannet articles- Abbott advocates demand school reform at educ. dept
     6-12-06 EMAILNET - Extraordinary Special Education student aid; FY07 Budget 'crunch' is on; news clips
     6-6-06 Legislative Leaders announce initial plans for property tax reform
     5-16-06 EMAILNET Action in Trenton
     5-10-06 A Lot is going on - Major News fromTrenton
     Gubernatorial Candidates' Education Plans announced September 05
     Governor Corzine takes steps towards major policy initiatives.
     4-8-07 Corzine Administration files brief with Supreme Court re Abbott funding
     4-7-07 The Record
     3-29-06 EMAILNET State Budget FY07 Hearings Update
     3-28-06 GSCS testimony before Assembly Budget Comm today
     3-24-06 EMAILNET FYI Update on Gov Corzine's Budget FY07
     3-23-06 Corzine says some Abbotts can raise taxes
     3-16-06 Gannett Press: Corzine wants to raise taxes, slash $2B
     Governor's Budget message 1 pm 3-21-06
     3-15-06 News articles on FY07
     3-10-06 Star Ledger 'Time is ripe for poorer districts to contribute.
     3-9-06 Governor speaks to S1701 at town meeting
     3-7-06 More articles on the Gov's Budget Summit and School Board members fo to Trenton
     3-7-06 Articles on Gov's Budget Summit and School Board members off to Trenton
     12-14-05 Asbury ParkPress Editorial 'Re-assess the ABC's of School Funding' notes the Governor's role is critical in making positive change occur
     Gubernatorial, Assembly District by District, County and Municipal voting breakdowns-results & formats for November 8 elections
     2-2-06 GSCS HEADS UP re probable delay of Governor's Budget Message
     Governor Corzine's Transition Team Reports
     1-19-06 EMAILNET Quick Facts, On the Homepage Today
     1-19-06 News Articles Trenton Times, The Record, Star Ledger
     1-18-06 Star Ledger
     Governor Corzine- Inaugural Address
     1-15-06 The Record 2 Sunday Articles anticipating top issues confronting the Corzine administration
     1-11-06 Star Ledger - Corzine Casts Wide Net for Cabinet
     12-14-05 Asbury ParkPress Editorial 'Re-assess the ABC's of School Funding'
     12-5-05 Governor-elect Corzine selects policy advisory groups
     11-20-05 Sunday Star Ledger 'Corzine's risky promise to taxpayers
     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
     November 9 The Trenton Times - Corzine Triumphs
     9-9-05 Trenton Times,Corzine Education Agenda
12-15-06 EMAILNET Bills Held!
12-14-06 Legislative Session holds Countywide District Pilot and Executive County Superintendent bills…more Thanks and appreciation to our GSCS members for your time and great effort on behalf of your communities during this recent legislative push on school bills that simply were not yet ready from prime-time - the Countywide School District Pilot and Executive County Superintendent bills. In working with legislators to see it was best to hold these bills rather than make them law, we have won a battle. But….pleased be advised that we need to persevere throughout this year to see that changes that may transform our public schools will be positive, and not negative. “…The bills considered Thursday by senators never received standard committee hearings and were only made public Wednesday…There's confusion, understandably, because there's a lot of discussion in a short period of time," Buono said. "I think it's positive that we're taking a step back…" (The Record, Assoc. Press)

The Statehouse, staff and leadership, were well aware of GSCS direct communications in Trenton and at the local legislator level about concerns with these bills. With your genuine and thoughtful advocacy efforts in the past few weeks, together we have so far succeeded in getting Trenton leadership to slow down its potential fastrack enactment of hastily constructed and unvetted legislation.

Enjoy the holidays and be ready to re-up your advocacy focus in the New Year. January 8 2007 is the next announced legislative session day….

Thanks very much for all your help, it is my pleasure and privilege to work with dedicated, intelligent and articulate folks such as you.

Happy Holidays, Peace and Well-being to you and your families - Lynne Stickland & the GSCS board.

GARDEN STATE COALITION OF SCHOOLS/GSCS

 

EMAILNET 12-15-06

 

12-14-06 Legislative Session holds Countywide District Pilot and Executive County Superintendent bills…more

 

 

 

Thanks and appreciation to our GSCS members for your time and great effort on behalf of your communities during this recent legislative push on school bills that simply were not yet ready from prime-time  - the Countywide School District Pilot and Executive County Superintendent bills.

In working with legislators to see it was best to hold these bills rather than make them law, we have won a battle. But….pleased be advised that we need to persevere throughout this year to see that changes that may transform our public schools will be positive, and not negative.

“…The bills considered Thursday by senators never received standard committee hearings and were only made public Wednesday…There's confusion, understandably, because there's a lot of discussion in a short period of time," Buono said. "I think it's positive that we're taking a step back…" (The Record, Assoc. Press)

The Statehouse, staff and leadership, were well aware of GSCS direct communications in Trenton and at the local legislator level about concerns with these bills. With your genuine and thoughtful advocacy efforts in the past few weeks, together we have so far succeeded in getting Trenton leadership to slow down its potential fastrack enactment of hastily constructed and unvetted legislation.

 

Enjoy the holidays and be ready to re-up your advocacy focus in the New Year. January 8 2007 is the next announced legislative session day….

 

Thanks very much for all your help, it is my pleasure and privilege to work with dedicated, intelligent and articulate folks such as you.

 

Happy Holidays, Peace and Well-being to you and your families - Lynne Stickland & the GSCS board.

 

GSCS Quick Facts

 

 Watch News 12 NJ show ‘In Our Schools’ to be shown over the weekend. In our Schools will be shown on Sat and Sunday on Channel 12 at 7:00 am, 12:00 noon and 4:30 pm.  The discussion focuses on the pending legislation and the issue of consolidation. Ron Grayzel, Metuchen Board of Education member is appears on the show.

 

GSCS will be a presence at the School Funding Adequacy Study hearings next Monday, December 18 in both Burlington County Technical Institute, and Kean University.

 

See more below/December 15 2006 – What’s the Buzz?

 

Governor Corzine on 101.5 this morning talking on the property tax reform efforts

 

  • “There is movement on all aspects of this package that is taking place…”

 

  • Re legislature’s holding CORE PLAN [which included ‘super’ county superintendent plan] bill from floor vote in Senate yesterday: “We’re in a democracy”   ….  It’s easy to talk about consolidation until (the people) start responding…they don’t want it jammed down their throat”

 

  • Pension reform: “How important is the union in all this?”  Governor Corzine noted that current employees have  “Non-forfeitable rights” (Governor Whitman era when she signed pension bond bill in 90’s) and that the his bargaining could impact about “10-15% of pension reform…”

 

Legislature has significant role to deal with pension abuse…and that “…needs to be done before my budget message.”

 

Re: Rutgers study that state government employees now receive more than average NJ employee, doesn’t that mean they don’t have need to get that balance in benefits, as used to b the case: Governor believes that this does reflect ability to negotiate in a new context for new state employees.

 

  • Lawmakers are “frustrated” re Corzine’s insistence that wages and benefits need to be bargained at the negotiating table: “Wages and health benefits are part of the bargaining process” for current employees …Corzine’s “expectation is that we will move faster than that” (June deadline for negotiations) “everybody has to join in this [effort]to get taxes down.”

 

  • Governor is demanding legislature provide the state with 2 tools that he says are essential to property tax reform: an elected comptroller and ‘hard’ caps.

 

  • In response to question about burden re schools & parents with children in schools:

“Governor says theory of p taxes is that they go to places where families are attached…and that they capture where children are…general argument would be that if we have good schools…the whole community will benefit…when I’m selling NJ to a company they really do care about where their kids are [going] to be educated.”

 

  • Governor, what is your timetable now?  “I think we have changed people’s

thinking and behavior” inside government now[we have a fresh way of conducting government in my administration, not same old, same old]….We have to submit budget by end of February and will stick by that.

 

  • December 14th will be seen as an historic [legislative] day ”… Passage of(1) needle exchange bill; (2) investment in stem cell research bill; (3) civil union bill…”

___________________________________________________________________________________

Princeton Public Affairs Group, Inc.

(professional courtesy to GSCS)

                                                                               

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS • PUBLIC AFFAIRS • GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY

12-15-06 Newswatch from Princeton Public Affairs Group, Inc.

Legislative Schedule

  • Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. called the Assembly back into session January 8 in an effort to continue work on special session property tax reform legislation.
  • Tuesday, January 9

        Assembly, State of the State Address; Time to be announced

        Senate, State of the State Address

Legislative Highlights

  • The Senate and Assembly passed landmark legislation (A2828 / S1471) that would direct $270 million to build stem cell and biomedical research centers in New Jersey's northern, central and southern regions and reinforce the state's national status as a leader in the promising field of stem-cell research.
  • The Assembly on Thursday passed three more measures based on recommendations from the special session joint committees on property tax reform. The measures advanced by the Assembly stemmed from the work of the joint legislative committees on Public School Funding Reform and Government Consolidation and Shared Services. The reforms would:

    Eliminate various inactive state commissions, committees, councils, and boards (A13, Passed 80-0); Eliminate various mandates imposed on public school districts (A17, Passed 79-1); and Direct the Department of Education to undertake an evaluation of its oversight authority and recommend legislative changes that would enhance its ability to monitor school district operations (AJR10 / SJR1, Passed 73-7).
  • Senator Loretta Weinberg, Senate co-prime sponsor of S2407 / A3787, a bill to authorize same-sex couples to enter Civil Unions, was approved by the Senate.  It passed 23-12 and was advanced to Governor Corzine's office for enactment.
  • Bipartisan legislation, A100, to reauthorize the state's Clean Elections program for 2007 and enhance the ability of candidates to qualify for public campaign financing was passed by the General Assembly.

_____________________________________________________________________

       NEWS ARTICLES Friday December 15 2006

     _____________________________________________________________________

The Record/Assoc Press article quote/see below for article:

The bills considered Thursday by senators never received standard committee hearings and were only made public Wednesday.

"There's confusion, understandably, because there's a lot of discussion in a short period of time," Buono said. "I think it's positive that we're taking a step back."

Press of Atlantic City

Property-tax reform stalls at Statehouse

By PETE McALEER Statehouse Bureau, (609) 292-4935
(Published: December 15, 2006)

TRENTON — Lawmakers hit the brakes Thursday on a sweeping plan to lower New Jersey's property taxes, promising to return again in early January.

Democrats in both houses failed to achieve consensus on major pieces of property-tax reform legislation, such as the creation of a state comptroller, changes to public-worker benefits and additional power for county school superintendents. Lawmakers in both houses complained they did not have enough time to review bills that had been amended significantly in the past 24 hours.

“I don't think there's any one thing that held it up,” said Assemblyman Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic. “I think we sort of ran out of time to try to hammer this out.”

The Senate put one property-tax reform bill up for a vote — a plan to create a pilot countywide school district. The legislation was withdrawn from consideration when it received only 17 of the 21 votes needed to pass.

A short time later, Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts Jr., D-Camden, Gloucester, returned from a caucus meeting and declared the voting session over. The Senate also adjourned for 2006 without approving any of the major components of a property-tax reform plan lawmakers had intended to send to Gov. Jon S. Corzine by Jan. 1.

“There's so many new amendments that were just introduced,” said state Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex. “The members need more time to study them.”

In a statement released Thursday evening, Roberts said more time was needed to refine some of the property-tax reform measures, including a bill that made changes to public worker pensions and benefits. He said that bill should include a provision that mandates the forfeiture of pension benefits for public officials convicted of corruption. The provision had been dropped Wednesday night, but it remained unclear exactly why.

“The Assembly will return to continue its work on property-tax reform and relief on Jan. 8,” Roberts said.

New Jersey homeowners pay an average of $6,000 in property taxes annually, a rate double the national average.

Corzine had said he would call for a citizen's convention on property taxes if the Legislature had not adopted a plan by Jan. 1. Asked about that Thursday morning, he said there was no need to enforce the deadline because the Legislature has made significant progress.

“I think they are making a good-faith effort,” Corzine said. “People are calling the horse race when they're rounding the first bend.”

State Sen. Nicholas Asselta, R-Cape May. Cumberland, Atlantic, said the decision to slow things down makes sense. The bills scheduled for a vote Thursday had never received standard committee hearings and were made public only Wednesday.

“It's too fast,” Asselta said.

One bill of particular concern to Asselta and other lawmakers would have given county superintendents authority over local school districts.

“That's a major change with little details and little consensus,” Asselta said. “You're wiping out local autonomy and switching from home rule to state rule. It's a big leap.”

Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, said lawmakers may be trying to cover too many changes too quickly.

“I think the holdup is, to some degree, that we have to find more consensus and focus on what the most important issues are,” he said.

Van Drew said he would still like to see the Legislature deal with issues of pension abuse. He said lawmakers should move quickly to pass legislation that forfeits pensions for any state worker convicted of corruption.

State Sen. Bill Gormley, R-Atlantic, questioned the sense of a pilot program to merge all the schools in a given county into one countywide school district. The bill leaves the decision for such a merger up to county freeholder boards.

A member of the pension and benefits committee, Gormley said he was disappointed about the progress so far.

“Nothing really happened,” Gormley said. “We spent a lot of time on reform, there were a lot of expectations and it didn't happen. The public has every right to be disappointed.”

Democratic Party leaders said they were optimistic they would reach their goal in January. The main component of the plan would provide a 20 percent property tax credit to homes earning $100,000 a year or less.

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

Year is likely to end without passage of property tax reform

By JONATHAN TAMARI
Gannett State
Bureau


TRENTON   
Critics had harsh assessments of the special legislative session that began in July with promises to take on some of the state's most intractable issues. The most important proposals introduced to this point, such as plans to increase oversight of school and government spending and encourage town mergers, have been stuck in a holding pattern. Meanwhile, the most far-reaching proposals -- a 20 percent property tax credit, a new school funding formula and a property tax cap -- exist only as outlines. No formal proposals have been made on those plans… Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny Jr., D-Hoboken, said there were too many questions on too many bills to try to push them through late Thursday. "It's more important that we pass the bills in a format that is acceptable to the Legislature than to pass bills that are not thoroughly vetted," Kenny said.”

Property tax reforms stalled for the second time in four days Thursday as Democrats delayed action on the most significant proposals posted so far, saying they needed more time to work out the plans' details.

The political wrangling during the last voting session of 2006 meant lawmakers would end the year with little to show for property tax reform after four months of hearings on the subject.

Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny Jr., D-Hoboken, said there were too many questions on too many bills to try to push them through late Thursday.

"It's more important that we pass the bills in a format that is acceptable to the Legislature than to pass bills that are not thoroughly vetted," Kenny said.

Critics had harsh assessments of the special legislative session that began in July with promises to take on some of the state's most intractable issues. The most important proposals introduced to this point, such as plans to increase oversight of school and government spending and encourage town mergers, have been stuck in a holding pattern. Meanwhile, the most far-reaching proposals -- a 20 percent property tax credit, a new school funding formula and a property tax cap -- exist only as outlines. No formal proposals have been made on those plans.

"The people have gotten coal in their Christmas stockings," said Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, R-Clinton Township, Hunterdon County.

Five key reform plans first posted Monday went nowhere in the Senate. Three of the proposals advanced in the Assembly Monday, but there was no further action in either house Thursday.

"It's clear today the majority doesn't want to produce reform," said Sen. Joseph Kyrillos Jr., R-Middletown, Monmouth County.

Democrats said they hoped to resume their work on property tax reforms Jan. 8.

Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-West Orange, and Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr., D-Camden, had pledged to enact "significant" reforms by Jan. 1, and Gov. Jon S. Corzine pledged in July to call a citizens' convention if action weren't taken by year's end.

Codey on Thursday called the deadline "artificial.". Corzine said lawmakers had made a "good faith effort" on reform and warned against judging the process until it is complete.

"People are calling the horse race when they have rounded the first bend, as far as I can see," Corzine said.

The most concrete deadline for reforms is late February, when Corzine will have to introduce a new state budget, although that date could be extended.

Reach Jonathan Tamari jtamari@gannett.com
Published: December 15. 2006 3:10AM

Property tax cuts? Not so fast Friday, December 15, 2006
By TOM HESTER Jr.
ASSOCIATED PRESS


TRENTON -- Major property tax reform legislation stalled again Thursday in the Senate amid concerns that bills aimed at cutting the nation's highest property taxes were written too hastily and needed revisions.

The Senate, as it did Monday, postponed votes on proposals to reform taxpayer-funded pension and health benefits for elected and appointed officials, create 21 county school superintendents with authority over local schools and create a state comptroller to investigate all government spending in the state.

Senators said a plan to create a special commission that would ask voters to merge municipalities might also be held, although they planned to continue discussing that plan later Thursday.

"I don't know if we're going to be able to do it today," Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex, said late Thursday afternoon after a lengthy closed-door meeting of Senate Democrats.

Although Thursday's stall was another stumble in the months-long effort to cut property taxes that are twice the national average, Buono said senators would resume their efforts in January and expressed confidence that reform will happen.

The bills considered Thursday by senators never received standard committee hearings and were only made public Wednesday.

"There's confusion, understandably, because there's a lot of discussion in a short period of time," Buono said. "I think it's positive that we're taking a step back."

Lawmakers had initially vowed to pass major reforms by year's end.

The Assembly on Monday passed the merger commission and county school chief bills, but will have to reconsider them if the Senate amends them.

The proposals are intended to streamline local government, but are opposed by local officials who contend the changes would usurp their authority and do little to cut property taxes that average $6,000 per homeowner.

The comptroller is key part of the property tax reform package that lawmakers have been developing since late July.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine has demanded it as a condition of signing legislation that would give most homeowners a 20 percent property tax cut.

Municipal officials oppose an amendment placed into the merger commission bill that would withhold state aid from municipalities where voters reject mergers.

"We are disturbed that such a provision would even be considered," said Bill Dressel, executive director of the State League of Municipalities.

STARLEDGER- Legislative tax reform effort fizzles

Lawmakers break for holidays with most major proposals stalled    Friday, December 15, 2006

BY DUNSTAN McNICHOL AND DEBORAH HOWLETT  Star-Ledger Staff

Falling far short of their promise to deliver comprehensive property tax reform by year's end, state lawmakers yesterday shied away from voting on controversial bills to spur mergers of towns and school districts and trim public officials' pensions. After a day of backroom debates and intense lobbying, the Legislature recessed for the year, leaving its most significant reform ideas on the shelf.

"We got all dressed up for nothing," said Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester).

 

Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) said he joined other legislative leaders in holding out hope that the reforms will fare better Jan. 8, when lawmakers plan to take them up again, but conceded that hope is "waning."

In two sessions this week, the Assembly and Senate gave final approval to just five minor bills out of a package of legislation aimed at trimming the government costs that drive up property taxes. Meanwhile, most of the nearly 100 recommendations of four special committees that studied property tax reform have been sidetracked by objections from labor unions and local government officials.

 

"This is what property tax reform looks like when the Democrats are in charge," said Sen. Minority Leader Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon). "The taxpaying public continues to suffer. Relief and reform cannot come quickly enough."

Leaders of the Legislature's Democratic majority insisted that the effort has not come to an end.

 

"There's still more that's going to go forward," said Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex). "We'll get there."

"There's going to be more work done by staff over the next week to further address some of the issues that members are concerned about," said Sen. Bernard F. Kenny Jr. (D-Hudson). "There's no time limit on any of this stuff."

The Senate and Assembly are scheduled to return to Trenton a week after New Year's Day, one day before Gov. Jon Corzine delivers his annual State of the State message.

Yesterday's session saw final passage of a bill (A17) to relieve school districts of certain mandates, such as the requirement to observe Commodore Barry Day, and another (A13) to wipe out inactive and outmoded public boards and commissions. Three other minor bills had been approved Monday.

 

Another bill (S7), which would have allowed freeholders in one of the state's less populous counties to volunteer to replace local school districts with a county-wide administration, drew widepread opposition. It was presented for a vote but withdrawn when it failed to get the 21 votes needed for passage.

 

More onerous initiatives never mustered enough support for a vote yesterday. They included one that would set up a special commission to target particular local governments for elimination (S1); another that would have created a comptroller's office to monitor public spending (S2), and a third that included plans for county school superintendents with veto power over local school spending (S10).

 

Bob Master, a member of the lobbying team from the state's largest public employees union, the Communications Workers of America, said he was pleased that lawmakers decided to hold off voting on a modest pension and health benefits reform bill -- a measure that had already been stripped down from two earlier proposals.

"I think they overextended," he said. "They got the property tax debate tied up in a lot of issues that were appropriately on the bargaining table."

 

Lawmakers, too, said their colleagues in leadership had served up an array of reforms that were too complex and too fluid to win passage in the single day allotted to them.

"I honestly think we have to go back and get it right," Sweeney said. "Better to do it Jan. 8 and get it right than to do it Dec. 14 and get it wrong."

 

Yesterday's public stumbles left some observers questioning whether lawmakers will ever have the stomach for the tough political decisions that await on contentious matters like retooling state school aid and imposing limits on the growth of local government spending.

 

"I'm a little frustrated at the whole process," said Bill Dressel, executive director of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, who lobbied against late changes to a government consolidation measure yesterday.

"Over the long Christmas break, we might want to give consideration to reviving the idea of a citizens' constitutional convention," said Dressel. "I believe the public can do a better job of identifying the problems and coming up with solutions than what I'm witnessing here today."

 

Corzine as well said he would push for a convention to take over the Legislature's work if lawmakers fail to deliver in a reasonable time frame. But he said it is too early to declare the Legislature's effort a failure. "We're taking on something that's gone on for 20 years, and I'm not going to let a month stand in the way of getting to a quality outcome," he said. "That's not being practical."

 

Even before this week's voting sessions, many major elements of the planned property tax reform package had been put on hold. A proposal to offer most homeowners state subsidies to offset 20 percent of their property tax bills was announced in November, but details -- such as exactly who would qualify and where all the money would come from -- are still being negotiated between legislative leaders and the governor.

 

A sweeping proposal to cut pension benefits for future state workers and teachers and to boost employee co-payments for health insurance suffered a blow this month when Corzine insisted that lawmakers should reserve those issues for negotiators working on new state employee contracts.

"This is the legislative process," said Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex). "This actually shows there's a robust debate, and there's actually thought going into this."