TRENTON — An Assembly panel has approved a bill aimed to help New Jersey towns and counties fight back against unfunded state mandates. The bill allows organizations that represent governments, and public safety officers and volunteers to file complaints about unfunded mandates with the with the Council on Local Mandates – a body that can overturn laws, rules and...
Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex) in a 2007 photo.TRENTON — An Assembly panel has approved a bill aimed to help New Jersey towns and counties fight back against unfunded state mandates.
The bill allows organizations that represent governments, and public safety officers and volunteers to file complaints about unfunded mandates with the with the Council on Local Mandates – a body that can overturn laws, rules and regulations that it rules are mandates without a funding source. It cleared the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste committee this morning by a vote of 7-0, and passed the state Senate last month 36-0.
Currently, only governing bodies or chief executives of towns, counties and school boards can file complaints with the council. If the bill becomes law, that will be expanded to several other groups that represent governments, school boards, fire and first aid responders. The organizations include the New Jersey Conference of Mayors, The New Jersey League of Municipalities, the New Jersey School Boards Association, and the New Jersey Association of Counties.
“We understand this is only going to be part of the solution,” said Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex), who chairs the panel, which has been charged by Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver with examining unfunded mandates. “This isn’t a panacea on how property taxes are going to stabilize. But it’s going to be a good piece of it.’
McKeon said the Council on Local Mandates has only heard 11 cases town shave brought against mandates since it was created in 2006.
The legislation is part of Gov. Chris Christie’s 33-bill package of “tool kit” legislation to help towns control property taxes in advance of the enactment of a recently-passed 2 percent property tax cap. Democrats say they will consider some of those bills, but will come up with alternative measures as well.