Sources say Christie is willing to allow pension and benefit exemptions to two percent cap, but not for any other forms of compensation
Sen. Stephen Sweeney prepares to meet with Gov. Chris Christie as he enters the office of the governor Monday afternoon to find a compromise on the tool kit matter.Gov. Chris Christie and the state’s top two Democrats began face-to-face discussions yesterday to hammer out a deal on the governor’s “tool kit” aimed at helping towns cope with upcoming limits on property tax collections.
With less than a month to go before the 2 percent property tax cap kicks in, Christie met with Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) for an hour and 40 minutes. The legislative leaders left in good spirits, but with no agreement.
“We’re a work in progress. The good thing is that we are talking and sitting down,” said Oliver, who estimated it would take at least another day of negotiations before the two sides could come to an agreement.
Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak called the meeting “positive” and said the two sides are “making good progress.” Another meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Drewniak said.
Christie and the Democrats, however, say they still have differences on the two most important “tool kit” measures: arbitration and civil service reform.
Christie has called for a 2 percent annual limit on raises to salaries and benefits in arbitration awards for police and firefighters, but Democrats don’t want the limits to include pension and health benefits. They also want to let the bill expire after three years to examine its effects.
Two officials with knowledge of the governor’s stance said Christie is willing to allow the pension and benefit exemptions, but not for any other forms of compensation.
A Democratic compromise bill also would allow raises to exceed 2 percent in any given year, as long as they don’t average out to more than that for the life of the contract.
“We’re all working together to finish this thing up, so I appreciate the governor working with us and we’re working with him,” said Sweeney. “So we’re getting close.”
But differences in the two sides’ approaches to how to reform the state’s civil service system were highlighted yesterday.
Christie wants to allow the 194 towns that participate in the civil service system — which dictates how towns can hire and fire employees to protect them from being replaced by political patronage hires — to opt out if voters agree in a referendum.
Speaking at an Assembly committee hearing, Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Lori Grifa said civil service is a “significant barrier” to the sharing of services between towns that use the civil service system and towns that do not.
But Sweeney said he wants to reform the system but not allow towns to opt out.
“Pre-civil service, if you knew someone they’d just give you a job and fire someone,” said Sweeney in a phone interview. “It needs to be reformed, but it doesn’t need to be thrown out.”
By Ginger Gibson and Matt Friedman/Statehouse Bureau Staff