Local Bridges Future Needs Program   After initially announcing that the Department would freeze Local Bridges Future Needs Program (LBFN) monies in 2015, NJ DOT confirmed late last week that it plans to the restore the $25.0 million for vital bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation funding, and that counties should expect to receive grant solicitation letters from the Department early this month.  Special thanks to the New Jersey State Association of County Engineers (NJSACE), which worked with NJAC to identify the list of pending and future projects that would have been impacted by t...

Dissolution of County Government Assemblyman Robert Auth (D-Bergen) recently introduced legislation that would dissolve county government and require the State and municipalities to perform the functions of county government. We do not agree with the Assemblyman.  In fact, county government is playing a much greater role in the everyday lives of New Jersey residents as the only true regional form of government in the State capable of delivering essential services in a cost effective and efficient manner.  As municipalities continue to struggle with the 2.0% property tax cap and a seemingly n...

Environmental Infrastructure Trust On January 15th, NJAC and the New Jersey State League of Municipalities (NJSLOM) testified before the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee on Assembly, No. 3548 (Schaer D-Bergen/Spencer D-Essex), which would require local governments and authorities to obtain a financing cost estimate from the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust (EIT) when financing all environmental infrastructure projects valued over $500,000.00. NJAC testified that it’s primarily concerned with the fact that local governing bodies currently have the option of pursuin...

Cape May County Board of Elections Litigation   In light of its far reaching implications and substantial impact on county governments across the State, NJAC plans to file an Amicus brief in support of Cape May County’s anticipated petition of the State Supreme Court to overturn the Appellate Division’s recent decision affirming the Attorney General’s denial to provide Cape May County with a defense and indemnification in connection with a tort action filed by citizen voter against the County and Cape May County Board of Elections. We’ll make sure to provide you with a summary of the brief an...

FISCAL YEAR 2015 STATE BUDGET  Governor Christie signed into law last night as P.L. 2014, c.14 SENATE, NO. 2015  (Sarlo D-Bergen/Schaer D-Bergen/Passiaic), which appropriates $34,133,290,000.00  in State funds and $13,427,159.00 in federal funds for the State budget in Fiscal  Year 2015. We’ll make sure to provide you with a more comprehensive analysis  of the budget within the next few days after we’ve had an opportunity to review it more detail as the Governor exercised a line-item veto on several measures included in the above budget bill. However, it appears that the Governor included i...