by Colleen O'Dea, Senior Writer for NJ Spotlight News - NJ Decides 2021, Politics March 18, 2021 - Lawmakers want it in place for November’s elections. But there are major tech hurdles and there’s not enough money, county officials say. New Jersey is on the brink of permitting true early voting with people using machines to cast votes beginning with the election in November when the governor and all 120 seats in the Legislature are on the ballot. County election officials, however, say the state isn’t ready. Clerks and election supervisors have a litany of issues with the legislative...

Investing in a Stronger, Fairer, and More Resilient Post-Pandemic New Jersey 02/23/2021 Proposal Includes First Full Pension Payment in More than 25 Years, Highest Level of School Funding Ever, Robust Tax Relief, and a $200 Million Small Business Relief Initiative TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy delivered his fourth annual budget address on Tuesday, outlining a responsible spending proposal for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY2022) that includes critical investments to help New Jersey emerge from the pandemic stronger, fairer, and more resilient, while making a full pension payment for the first ti...

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...

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...

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...

Governor Murphy, Lt. Governor Oliver, Senate President Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Coughlin, Assembly Budget Chair Pintor Marin, and Senate Budget Chair Sarlo Announce Agreement to Include Millionaire’s Tax in Revised FY2021 Budget 09/17/2020 Governor and Legislative Leaders Also Announce $500 Tax Rebate for Middle-Class Families TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, Senate Budget Chair Paul Sarlo, and Assembly Budget Chair Eliana Pintor Marin today announced that that the revised Fiscal Year 202...

FY-2021 State Budget At-A-Glance FY-2021 Revised Budget

MOUNT OLIVE – Acting on a commitment to deliver relief to communities who were not eligible for federal funding allocated through the CARES Act, Governor Phil Murphy today announced $37 million in support for 12 additional counties to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding will be made available to counties in three separate tranches under one Memorandum of Agreement. The 12 counties include: Atlantic; Burlington; Cape May; Cumberland; Gloucester; Hunterdon; Mercer; Morris; Salem; Somerset; Sussex; and Warren. These counties were ineligible for Coronavirus Relief Funding because their...

The New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC) was pleased to host a lineup of virtual workshops for the fall of 2020 where (7) 60-minute long sessions focused on COVID-19 related matters such as emergency management, procurement, public health, human and social services, budgeting, labor, and general crisis management.  NJAC secured continuing education credits for all workshops and those that attended.  We thank all of our presenters for providing informative and educational materials.  Below are recordings of the workshops for you to view.  NJAC appreciates the support and generosity of our ...