CARES ACT FUNDING Along with Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties, the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC) is urging Governor Murphy to reimburse these 12 counties with federal monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for the extraordinary expenses incurred in combating the COVID-19 public health crisis. During this once in a generation pandemic, county governments have led the way on the front lines and played a vital ro...

COVID-19 RELIEF BONDS Despite earlier reports that the measure was beginning to move, SENATE, NO. 2475 (Singleton D-7/Gopal D-11) has stalled for the time being in the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee. In summary, this legislation would allow counties and municipalities to borrow moneys through the issuance of bonds and notes to cover unanticipated emergency expenses and revenue shortfalls directly attributable to the COVID-19 public health crisis. More specifically, the legislation would authorize a local unit to incur indebtedness, borrow money, and issue “Coronavirus Relief Bo...

STATE BORROWING PLAN On June 4th, the General Assembly passed by a vote of 51-28 ASSEMBLY, NO. 4175 (Pintor Marin D-29), which would establish the “New Jersey COVID-19 Emergency Bond Act” to authorize the State to issue $5.0 billion in general obligation bonds and to apply for federal stimulus loans on behalf of certain local governing bodies. Although a companion version of the bill does not currently exist in the Senate, the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on the Administration’s proposal on June 1st where the State Treasurer also outlined the projected $1...

PROPERTY TAX GRACE PERIOD AND OTHER DEADLINES Earlier today, both houses of the Legislature passed SENATE, NO. 2932/ASSEMBLY, NO. 3969 (Sarlo D-36)(Danielson D-17), which would allow for the extension of certain local government timeframes, to accept certain payments electronically, to conduct certain meetings remotely, and to adjust certain property tax distribution and notice requirements. Although its application would be very limited and its implementation would be much more be more palatable than similar legislation, NJAC remains opposed to the provision of this bill that would auth...

PROPERTY TAX GRACE PERIOD AND OTHER DEADLINES On May 7th, the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee was set to consider, instead held SENATE, NO. 2932 (Sarlo D-36), which would allow for the extension of various local government deadlines under certain circumstances. The Committee will likely amend the measure and consider it at its next meeting on Tuesday. Although its application would be very limited, NJAC remains concerned with the provision of this legislation that would authorize a municipality to extend the property tax collection grace period and the time in which a town must ...

February 26, 2020 Edition - Prisoner Reentry Legislation NJAC very much appreciates the opportunity to work with senators Vitale (D-18) and Cryan (D-20), and assemblymen Greenwald (D-5) and Verrelli (D-15), on a package of prisoner reentry bills.  In summary, NJAC has proposed amendments, which would require each county to appoint a county reentry coordinator responsible for navigating treatment and services to inmates in a county jail who have been sentenced to a term of incarceration or are ordered detained pending trial following a pretrial detention hearing.  The proposed amendments w...

Vote-By-Mail On January 21st, Governor Murphy signed into law, Senate, No. 4315 (Beach D-6/Turner D-15)(Jones D-5/Zwicker D-16), which creates a fund to reimburse local governing bodies for the cost of certain mail-in ballot procedures and appropriates $3.0 million. The Governor and Legislature enacted the new law in response to NJAC’s successful complaint with the New Jersey Council on Local Mandates that the 2018 and 2019 vote-by-mail laws violated the Constitution as unfunded State mandates. In summary, this new law creates the “Mail-In Ballot Local Reimbursement Fund” to reimburse count...

December 23, 2019 Edition PFRS Benefit Enhancements On December 16th, the General Assembly passed by a vote of 71-0-6 Assembly, No. 6024 (DeAngelo D-14/Chaparro D-33), which would provide for a retirement allowance after 20 years of service regardless of age for members of the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (PFRS). NJAC strongly opposes this legislation as the Office of Legislative Services (OLS) has concluded that the measure will “have a significant, indeterminate fiscal impact, likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars, on both the State and local portions of the PFRS pens...

November 15, 2019 Edition. Mental Health Advisory Task Force NJAC is pleased report that the Association will serve on the Mental Health Advisory Task Force created by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to address system-wide issues concerning individuals with mental illness.  The Committee met for the first time on November 13th, where Chief Justice Stuart Rabner provided the opening remarks and shared his vision of how collaboratively the State should guide individuals struggling with mental illness to treatment and not into correctional facilities. Department of Human Servi...

October 18, 2019 Edition Vote-by-Mail On September 23rd, the NJ Council on Local Mandates considered NJAC’s complaint that the 2018 vote-by-mail law constitutes an unfunded State mandate and is unconstitutional.  Given that the recently enacted 2019 vote-by-mail law appropriates $2.0 million to offset the direct expenditures imposed by both laws, which we submit is open to interpretation as noted below, the Council requested NJAC and the Attorney General’s office to provide final briefs concerning the actual costs incurred by county governments.  NJAC and the Attorney General’s office mus...