Assembly Democrats continue to push for changes to the bill, wanting other exemptions for uncollected tax reserves, state aid cuts
Assembly Speaker Sheila Olivier shakes hands with Gov. Chris Christie before he addresses a joint session of the Senate and Assembly in this file photo.TRENTON — The state Assembly today passed a compromise bill that halves the state’s property tax cap from 4 percent to 2 percent.
The measure, which was approved by the state Senate on Thursday, now moves to the desk of Gov. Chris Christie, who is expected to sign it tomorrow.
The vote was 73-4 with four Democrats - Assembly members Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex), Annette Quijano (D-Union), Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-Mercer) and John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) - voting against it.
“Today is about listening to our constituents,” said Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex), the sponsor of the bill, which was modified by Gov. Chris Christie with a conditional veto.
Assembly Democrats were the final, reluctant hurdle for the compromise between Christie and the state Senate to lower the property tax cap and include four exemptions for pension costs, health care costs, debt payments and states of emergencies.
Christie originally wanted to enshrine a hard 2.5 percent cap in the constitution with exceptions only for debt payments. After Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) proposed a 2.9 percent statutory cap with more exceptions and both houses of the Legislature passed it, he and Christie reached a deal to lower the cap to 2 percent while including the four exemptions. If they don’t meet the criteria for exemption, towns can raise their property taxes beyond the cap with a simple majority vote by referendum.
The Assembly’s approval of the compromise was an open question for three days, when Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver declined to join Christie and Sweeney at a press conference touting the agreement. Eventually, Oliver said the Assembly would not “stand in the way” of the bill.
But Assembly Democrats continued to push for changes to the bill, and said today they wanted other exemptions for uncollected tax reserves, future cuts to state aid and extraordinary special education costs. Some were also upset that a compromise Christie proposed almost two weeks ago to exempt costs of already-existing contracts from the cap was left out of the current compromise.
The Assembly and state Senate plan to hold hearings throughout the summer on Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed “tool kit” – a package of legislation to help towns control costs so they can meet the new cap.
Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) said he was proud of the bipartisan compromise.
“In this town almost everything at one time or another is called crisis, and we all know that’s not true. but if there ever was anything that was a crisis, the property tax rate is it,” he said.
Related coverage:
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• N.J. local officials worry about fate of 2 percent property tax cap 'tool kit'
• N.J. mayors tell Assembly panel 2 percent property tax cap will burden towns
• N.J. Assembly Speaker announces official support for 2 percent property tax cap
• Gov. Christie pushes Democratic lawmakers to pass bills coping with property tax cap
• N.J. lawmakers' plan for 2 percent property tax cap inches closer to reality
• Gov. Christie issues conditional veto of property tax bill in deal with N.J. Dems
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