TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Vin Gopal and Senator Troy Singleton that would include Monmouth and Atlantic counties in the state pilot program that makes it easier for municipalities in participating counties to enter into shared services agreements was signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy. The bill would make Monmouth and Atlantic counties the sixth and seventh counties in the program.
“While many towns and cities across the state have taken steps to cut costs through shared services, the Legislature provided additional tools under a pilot program enacted several years ago that included five counties,” said Senator Gopal (D-Monmouth). “Making Monmouth and Atlantic counties part of this program will ease the process for towns and cities that want to share services where it makes sense and reduce taxpayer costs making the counties more affordable for residents.”
The law would add Monmouth and Atlantic counties to the list of counties permitted to operate under the pilot program. The bill authorizes the sharing of services for a municipal clerk, a chief financial officer, an assessor, a tax collector, a municipal treasurer or a municipal superintendent of public works without regard to the strictures of tenure rights that persons who hold those positions may have.
“Sharing services is a smart and effective way in which local governments can work to save taxpayer dollars,” said Senator Singleton (D-Burlington). “Now, the pilot program will include one third of New Jersey’s counties. Shared services show how local governments can work together to provide the very best services for their residents, while also saving the municipalities money in return.”
In 2013, New Jersey implemented the “Common Sense Shared Services Pilot Program Act” with the purpose of removing impediments to the sharing of services in order to provide more efficient, and less costly local government services. Atlantic and Monmouth will now join Camden, Morris, Ocean, Sussex and Warren Counties as “pilot counties” under the law.