Sr114

Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said today she is opposed to the nomination of 18 people to various county Boards of Taxation.

“With the state struggling to keep its current budget in balance and come up with a new budget for the coming fiscal year, we cannot afford the cost of the pension and health benefits of all these appointments to county tax boards,” Sen. Weinberg said. “If all the new nominees enroll in the generous health and pension plans the state offers, the appointments will end up costing the state almost $600,000. That’s a luxury we just cannot afford at this time.”

TRENTON – Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) said today’s adoption of an emergency rule by the Civil Service Commission to give state and local governments the ability to mandate furloughs for employees is further evidence that part-time members of boards and commissions should also waive a portion of their salary and benefits.

Weinberg is the author of a Senate Resolution urging board and commission members who work fewer than 25 hours per week to forgo their pay or per diem for three months as part of an effort to help close a gap in the state budget. The resolution (SR-114) also calls on them to reimburse the boards, commissions, and authorities for three months’ worth of pension contributions paid by the public entity into a state-run retirement system.