From the Daily Record:
No ‘short-term fixes’ for N.J. budget, taxes, Corzine says
Gov. Jon S. Corzine said he supports a plan to ease property taxes by giving 20 percent credits to homeowners but raised concerns on Thursday about the price tag attached to the proposal.
In a speech delivered one day after lawmakers submitted 98 recommendations to reform property taxes, Corzine said any relief must be backed by sound financing that ensures that it will be long-lasting. Without directly criticizing the credit plan, he noted that there are limits to what the state can afford.
“The effort to provide immediate property tax relief cannot be done by creating a giant hole for future budgets. Let me be clear: Whether the subject is the budget or property taxes, I can’t support short-term fixes,” Corzine said in a speech at the New Jersey State League of Municipalities’ annual convention.
Corzine said the state needs to provide tax relief, but his speech signaled that he will not back a plan that he feels overreaches. What Corzine believes is affordable could affect the number of credits or their dollar amounts.
Corzine’s 24-minute speech often was vague and mostly focused on general budgeting principles that he has trumpeted since taking office. He urged lawmakers to be bold in their reforms, urging them to go further in several areas.
“If I have learned anything in politics, on Wall Street or in life, it is that you have to be willing to take calculated risks if you want to make real gains and progress,” Corzine said.
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The tax credit plan, however, remains murky when it comes to who will receive relief and how extensive it will be. The report said the credits should go to as many people as “resources allow,” and Corzine said on Thursday that they should reach “a substantial portion” of homeowners.“That report, I thought you could drive a truck through as far as vagaries as to who would benefit, who would not benefit,” said William Dressel Jr., executive director of the League of Municipalities.
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Roberts indicated that the level of credits will be based at least partially on income, with more aid going to people with less wealth.
From the Asbury Park Press:
Schools want details on merging
Officials in the Shore area who are involved with education are eager for details on a proposal to create a countywide school system in one New Jersey county, one of 98 recommendations issued by legislative property tax committees Wednesday.
Legislation for the pilot program, proposed by the joint legislative committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services, still must be approved by state lawmakers. Which county would participate has yet to be determined.
“The concept is good,” said Bruce Greenfield, superintendent of schools for Ocean County. Greenfield said he needs “to see the details underneath the concept” and what exactly the county would be responsible for before making a final assessment of the idea.
Governance is a key issue that must be addressed before such a system could go into effect, said Lester W. Richens, superintendent of the Belmar school district. He said questions such as who would be members of a county board of education, and whether they would be appointed or elected, must be answered.
The proposal is included in the 561 pages of recommendations lawmakers hope will ease New Jersey’s property taxes, the highest in the nation. Four legislative committees had been working since August with the goal of reducing property taxes.
Roberts indicated that the level of credits will be based at least partially on income, with more aid going to people with less wealth.
Basically, younger people who don’t yet own, but have halfway decent incomes are F***’d. Lets say a couple make $125k. That is more than twice the median household income in NJ. They can’t afford a decent house at current prices, but will likely be deemed “too wealthy” to receive much in the way of property tax relief.