S2356

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney which would create a pilot program in Gloucester County to merge municipal property tax assessors into a countywide office was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 25-7, with final legislative approval expected from the Assembly later today.

“Particularly as New Jersey residents are struggling with the effects of a national recession, we have a responsibility in government to achieve whatever savings we can for the hard-hit taxpayers we represent,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem. “This bill would allow the residents of Gloucester County to receive the services they depend on for a fraction of the cost, and would make Gloucester a model for shared services for the rest of the State. It’s time that we demand the efficient delivery of services from all levels of government, and make sure tax dollars are being used for the public good – not to perpetuate needless bureaucracy.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney which would create a pilot program in Gloucester County to merge municipal property tax assessors into a countywide office was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today by a vote of 14-0, with one abstention.

“Home rule has long been considered the third-rail in New Jersey politics, but if we’re ever going to get local property taxes under control, we need to find better ways to provide services with less cost to the local taxpayer,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem. “Gloucester County has a record as a Statewide leader in shared services, and all 24 municipalities in the county, on a bipartisan basis, have approved resolutions asking for the ability to merge tax assessment services. It’s time that we spend public dollars smarter, and put our limited public resources to the benefit of the public, not to perpetuate the bureaucracy.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney which would create a pilot program in Gloucester County to merge municipal property tax assessors into a countywide office was unanimously approved by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee today.

“Gloucester County has been a Statewide leader in shared services and has shown that there are real savings for the taxpayer when you merge municipal services at the county level,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem. “At a time when we must stretch public tax dollars to the limit, we need to look at new ideas that ensure the cost-effective delivery of public services. Our limited public resources should go to benefit the public, not perpetuate the bureaucracy.”