I prepared work with legislature statutory cap stays

July 3rd, 2010|Jeniffer David
Law

Christie, who took office in January after campaigning to reduce the size of government and cut the states 34 billion in debt, has opposed an alternative property tax plan by the Democratic Senate President with a 2.9 percent property tax cap that allowed for inflation.

In an effort to forge an agreement with lawmakers, Christie extended the special legislative session into Saturday, after the start of the U.S. Independence Day three-day weekend.

Christie also directed the legislature to consider his tool kit of measures that would give municipal leaders, school districts, and higher education institutions the ability to cap increases in local spending and taxes reform pensions and benefits, and make changes to collective bargaining.

We cannot leave this town for the summer and leave our citizens with an ever-growing property tax bill to pay because we refused to act, Christie said.

But it was unclear whether Christie has a legal right to force lawmakers to show up over the holiday weekend.

The governor has no legal authority to force our attendance, said Derek Roseman, a spokesman for Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Democrat.

Christie has threatened to file a lawsuit that would compel members attendance.

Budget committees from both houses of the legislature will work on property tax reform proposals over the summer with a view to reaching agreement in time for cities with calendar year budgets to know where they stand by January 1, 2011, Roseman said.

Lawmakers have time to consider a range of proposals because property tax bills are set until at least the end of 2010, he said.

There is no emergency that requires us to amend the constitution or reach agreement on a law by Monday, Roseman said.

New Jersey homeowners pay an average 7,281 a year in property taxes, representing a 70 percent increase in the last 10 years, Christie said.

Sheila Oliver, Speaker of the Democrat-controlled Assembly, said she shares the goal of reducing property taxes but opposed a constitutional cap on the grounds that it lacks flexibility and prevents lawmakers from reacting to changing economic circumstances.

There is already enough inherent delay in the regulator process, Oliver told the legislature on Thursday. Adding the delay of the constitutional process will only add to the stagnancy, not eliminate it.

Oliver said she had instructed a panel of lawmakers to study some three dozen property tax reform ideas in preparation for legislative action in the autumn.

Despite division with the governor over property taxes, the legislature earlier this week agreed Christies fiscal 2011 budget that closes a record 11 billion shortfall with deep spending cuts.

Editing by Diane Craft source