Help Protect Employee Data with Outsourced Verifications

Posted on February 1, 2021February 1, 2021 by kim@njac.org

View the entire newsletter for more articles: 2021 – NJAC County Biz – February by Kevin Kuhn, Strategic Account Executive for EQUIFAX, Inc. Across the US, employers are seeing the volume of income and employment verification requests going up. Historic low interest rates, increased applications for government assistance programs, and the need for employees to find new and additional employment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic are just a few factors driving the increase. Unfortunately, fraudsters see opportunity in this volume increase, and with many HR teams working remotely, th...

STATE HOUSE NEWS – JANUARY 29, 2021 EDITION

Posted on January 29, 2021March 31, 2021 by kim@njac.org

NJAC MISSION & LEGISLATIVE OBJECTIVES Although the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC) is committed to serving our elected officials and professionals as a resource and advocate for county government on COVID-19 related matters as the Garden State begins to navigate its way through the ongoing public health crisis, the Association also plans to refocus our efforts on achieving many long-term legislative goals and objectives. As a non-partisan organization that represents the State’s only true regional form of government with a unified and proactive voice, NJAC is dedicated to ad...

SPRING 2021 VIRTUAL WORKSHOP SERIES

Posted on January 22, 2021April 7, 2021 by kim@njac.org

The New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC) recently concluded its Spring 2021 COVID-19 Virtual Workshop Series. There were (7) 60-minute long sessions focused on COVID-19 and other county related matters such as vaccine distribution, federal funding, mandatory testing and vaccination by employers, medication assisted treatment services, election challenges, mental health resources, and foreclosure sales. NJAC secured continuing education credits for all workshops and continuing legal education credits for workshops conducted on March 10th and April 7th. If you have not received your C...

Governor Murphy 2021 State of the State Address

Posted on January 12, 2021March 31, 2021 by kim@njac.org

My fellow New Jerseyans. I don’t need to tell you these are different times. So, this is a different kind of speech. Instead of delivering this address in a crowded state house, I’m standing in an empty theater. Yet for all the changes, the most important things remain constant. Our values. Our priorities. Our vision. And that we are all New Jerseyans. The stories we just heard have echoed across our state for the better part of the past year. They are stories that show our grit and reveal our heart. They echo the pain of 2020 and they preview the hope of 2021. They are tied with a comm...

Bergen County Adopts E-Procurement Due to COVID-19

Posted on January 7, 2021 by kim@njac.org

by Gerald T. Reiner, Jr., Purchasing Agent for the County of Bergen View the entire newsletter for more articles: 2021 – NJAC County Biz – January As many local governments throughout the state have seen, COVID-19 has presented challenges in continuation and operations of essential government functions. Included in this challenge is the ability to safely, perform certain tasks, which allow the public to observe and participate in government in a transparent manner. While our public meetings took to zoom, many Counties like the County of Bergen recognized the challenges of a public bid ...

2021 NJAC REORGANIZATION MEETING & SWEARING-IN CEREMONY

Posted on January 2, 2021January 29, 2021 by kim@njac.org

On Friday, January 29, 2021, the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC) held its first ever virtual Reorganization Meeting and Swearing-In Ceremony. After NJAC Executive Director John G. Donnadio, Esq. opened the meeting and led the Pledge of Allegiance, Dr. Joseph Woods of St. Phillips Baptist Church of Hamilton, NJ performed the invocation and benediction. Senator Vin Gopal of NJ Legislative District 11 swore in the organization's 80th President, Mercer County Commissioner John A. Cimino. Cape May County Commissioner and NJAC's 2020 President swore in the Executive Officers and Board o...

STATE HOUSE NEWS – DECEMBER 24, 2020 EDITION

Posted on December 23, 2020December 23, 2020 by kim@njac.org

COVID-19 VACCINATION RECOMMENDATIONS As county governments will play a vital role in the implementation, administration, and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, NJAC shared with Governor Phil Murphy, the following recommendations in a December 21st letter as proposed by our elected officials, administrators, health officers, emergency management coordinators, purchasing agents, and other county stakeholders with the singular purpose of helping to deploy an effective and efficient vaccination plan. COMMUNICATION: As summarized in our December 8, 2020 letter, NJAC again recommends...

Rising Pension Payments Put A Strain On County, Local Governments

Posted on December 9, 2020December 9, 2020 by kim@njac.org

by John Reitmeyer, Budget/Finance Writer of NJ Spotlight News | December 9, 2020 Will service cuts, higher property taxes be needed to offset the added financial stress? County and local governments across New Jersey are being hit with as much as a 10% increase in their mandatory employer pension costs even as most are still reeling from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Department of Treasury officials said the increase in annual pension contributions for fiscal year 2021 that are due early next year reflect technical changes that account for things like longer life expectanci...

Reflecting On A Year Of Loss And Grief With A Path To Resilience

Posted on December 1, 2020December 3, 2020 by kim@njac.org

by Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer, NJ DCF View the entire newsletter for more articles: 2020 – NJAC County Biz – December As much as we tend to look forward to them, the holidays can be hard—especially this year. Residents in your community may be struggling with more than the usual level of stress associated with seasonal, traditional, or religious celebrations. Many may be experiencing pandemic-related economic hardships or may be facing unemployment or reduced work hours. Some may have lost family or close friends to COVID-19 or may be grieving the absence of a loved one due to ot...

STATE HOUSE NEWS – NOVEMBER 25, 2020 EDITION

Posted on November 25, 2020November 25, 2020 by kim@njac.org

COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL PENSION PAYMENT INCREASES Earlier this month, the Division of Pension and Benefits in the State Department of Treasury released the 2021 local government employer billing statements for the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), which included double digit percentage increases in total contributions for 2021. Despite these substantial increases, the funded ratio of PERS unfortunately decreased according to the "Actuarial Valuation Report" prepared by Cheiron and submitted to the Division on April 23, 2020. Even more alarming for county and municipal employers tha...