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TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, co-chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services, issued the following statement today on the approval of three measures that originated with the Consolidation Committee’s recommendations:

“The bills approved today by the full Legislature are an important first step towards sustainable property tax reform. The measures, which have bipartisan sponsorship from myself, Senator Ellen Karcher and Senator Joe Kyrillos, are the result of months of hearings and will play an important part in streamlining government in the State of New Jersey.

TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, co-Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services, issued the following statement today on the panel’s public hearing on specific legislation crafted from the Committee’s recommendations:

“Today’s hearing demonstrated that, while we received some pushback on different consolidation and shared services proposals from special interests, the major players are willing to come to the table and recognize the need to stabilize property taxes by cutting the costs of government in New Jersey.

TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, Co-Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services, issued the following statement regarding today’s committee meeting, in which the panel took testimony from local officials on specific proposals to consolidate governments in New Jersey:

“Today’s testimony regarding consolidation proposals of municipalities illustrated one basic truth – local officials are for consolidation, as long as you don’t ask them to consolidate.